The State in Brief
Nickname: Empire State
Motto: Excelsior (Ever upward)
Flower: Rose Bird: Bluebird
Area: 54,556 square miles (2000; U.S. rank: 27th)
Elevation: Ranges from sea level to 5,344 feet
Climate: Cold winters, warm summers with lower temperatures in the mountains; abundant precipitation
Admitted to Union: July 26, 1788
Capital: Albany
Head Official: Governor George Pataki (R) (until 2007)
Population
1980: 17,558,165
1990: 17,990,455
2000: 18,976,457
2004 estimate: 19,227,088
Percent change, 1990-2000: 5.5%
U.S. rank in 2004: 3rd
Percent of residents born in state: 65.3% (2000)
Density: 401.9 people per square mile (2000)
2002 FBI Crime Index Total: 537,121
Racial and Ethnic Characteristics (2000)
White: 12,893,689
Black or African American: 3,014,385
American Indian and Alaska Native: 82,461
Asian: 1,044,976
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander: 8,818
Hispanic or Latino (may be of any race): 2,867,583
Other: 1,341,946
Age Characteristics (2000)
Population under 5 years old: 1,239,417
Population 5 to 19 years old: 3,971,834
Percent of population 65 years and over: 12.9%
Median age: 35.9 years (2000)
Vital Statistics
Total number of births (2003): 260,844
Total number of deaths (2003): 157,251 (infant deaths,1,642)
AIDS cases reported through 2003: 66,660 Economy
Major industries: Wholesale and retail trade, transportation, finance, manufacturing, foreign trade, publishing Unemployment rate: 4.9% (April 2005)
Per capita income: $36,296 (2003; U.S. rank: 6th)
Median household income: $43,160 (3-year average,2001-2003)
Percentage of persons below poverty level: 14.2%(3-year average, 2001-2003)
Income tax rate: 4.0%-7.70%
Sales tax rate: 4.25%
