Census tract · Queens County
Census Tract 542, Queens County, New York
Census Tract 542, GEOID 36081054200, in Queens County, New York, entirely within New York. 5,520 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±1,053); the 2020 Census counted 5,149.
Residents, 2020-2024
5,520
±1,053 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 5,149
Median household income
$94,125
±$32,891 (90% margin)
Queens County: $86,136
Median home value
$716,700
±$69,845 (90% margin)
Queens County: $723,800
Median gross rent
$2,152
±$346 (90% margin)
Queens County: $1,956
Where is Census Tract 542?
Census Tract 542 is one of 725 census tracts in Queens County, New York. It covers 0.21 square miles of land, 24,636 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 36081054200, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
| Place | Share of the tract |
|---|---|
| New York | 100% |
7 census tracts border Census Tract 542: Tract 496 ($91,991), Tract 540 ($102,174), Tract 548 ($84,601), Tract 556 ($135,052), Tract 558 ($78,672), Tract 566 ($71,974) and Tract 568 ($101,321). The figure in brackets is each tract's median household income.
Whether a tract counts as low- or moderate-income for bank lending (the Community Reinvestment Act) is set by the FFIEC against its metro area's family income: look it up in the FFIEC census geocoder.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 block assignment files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Census Tract 542?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 542's population at 5,520 (±1,053) in 1,588 households; the 2020 Census counted 5,149 residents and 1,533 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 542 | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 5,520 ±1,053 | 8,483,844 |
| Households | 1,588 ±363 | 3,334,088 |
| Average household size | 3.47 ±0.41 | 2.48 |
| Housing units | 1,640 ±359 | 3,678,486 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Census Tract 542?
The median resident of Census Tract 542 is 43.6 years old; 21.4% are under 18 and 23.2% are 65 or older. The largest group is Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 31.5%, then non-Hispanic Asian residents at 26.5%. 57.3% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Tract 542 | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 43.6 ±6.9 | 38.2 |
| Under 18 years | 21.4% ±5.1 pts | 20.2% |
| 65 years and over | 23.2% ±8.9 pts | 16.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 31.5% ±14.4 pts | 28.5% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 4.3% ±4.7 pts | 31.0% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 20.8% ±8.7 pts | 20.4% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 26.5% ±8.6 pts | 14.6% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.8 pts | 0.2% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.8 pts | 0.0% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 10.0% ±5.8 pts | 3.9% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 6.9% ±5.2 pts | 1.4% |
| Born outside the United States | 57.3% ±7.0 pts | 36.6% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 49.3% ±13.5 pts | 47.7% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 1.6% ±1.2 pts | 1.8% |
| With a disability | 10.1% ±3.7 pts | 12.4% |
| No health insurance coverage | 7.5% ±4.3 pts | 6.3% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 80.4% ±7.8 pts | 83.8% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 27.3% ±7.9 pts | 41.6% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 10.2% ±4.0 pts | 17.7% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 99.2% ±0.8 pts | 90.1% |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Census Tract 542 earn?
Half of the 1,588 households in Census Tract 542 earn less than $94,125 a year (±$32,891), against $86,136 across Queens County: 274th highest of the county's 660 tracts with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Tract 542 | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $94,125 ±$32,891 | $80,483 |
| Mean household income | $110,913 ±$19,655 | $129,670 |
| Per capita income | $30,575 ±$4,812 | $51,844 |
| People below the poverty line | 7.9% ±5.8 pts | 17.9% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 13.9% ±12.1 pts | 23.9% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 14.4% ±6.7 pts | 21.2% |
| Households with a computer | 96.7% ±3.2 pts | 94.7% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 92.3% ±6.0 pts | 90.5% |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Census Tract 542?
Owners occupy 84.7% of Census Tract 542's occupied homes and renters 15.3%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $716,700 by its owner (±$69,845). The median renter pays $2,152 a month including utilities, and 71.5% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Tract 542 | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $716,700 ±$69,845 | $777,600 |
| Median gross rent | $2,152 ±$346 | $1,821 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 71.5% ±25.6 pts | 43.5% |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $3,260 ±$476 | $3,293 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 84.7% ±8.1 pts | 32.8% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 15.3% ±8.1 pts | 67.2% |
| Housing units | 1,640 ±359 | 3,678,486 |
| Single-family detached homes | 69.1% ±14.8 pts | 9.1% |
| Mobile homes | 0.0% ±2.6 pts | 0.2% |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±2.6 pts | 0.7% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.0% ±2.6 pts | 6.1% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 75.9% ±10.4 pts | 38.2% |
| Households with no vehicle | 24.6% ±16.6 pts | 55.3% |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Census Tract 542 get to work?
51.5% of Census Tract 542's workers drive alone and 11.6% work from home. The average trip to work takes 42.0 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 9.2%.
| Measure | Tract 542 | New York |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 59.6% ±7.4 pts | 63.2% |
| Unemployment rate | 9.2% ±4.6 pts | 8.0% |
| Drove alone to work | 51.5% ±9.3 pts | 21.6% |
| Carpooled | 7.3% ±3.5 pts | 4.3% |
| Public transportation | 26.4% ±9.2 pts | 44.0% |
| Walked | 2.3% ±1.9 pts | 9.2% |
| Worked from home | 11.6% ±6.6 pts | 16.9% |
| Mean travel time to work | 42.0 min ±6.5 | 40.3 min |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
How does Census Tract 542 compare with the other tracts in Queens County?
Among Queens County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 542 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In Queens County | In New York |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 80th of 684 | 379th of 2,229 |
| Residents per square mile | 453rd of 724 | 1,751st of 2,324 |
| Median household income | 274th of 660 | 803rd of 2,097 |
| Per capita income | 536th of 681 | 1,610th of 2,220 |
| Median home value | 341st of 621 | 1,131st of 1,826 |
| Median gross rent | 213th of 652 | 623rd of 2,158 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 442nd of 673 | 1,471st of 2,167 |
| Median age | 242nd of 687 | 554th of 2,236 |
| Owner-occupied share | 52nd of 644 | 93rd of 1,878 |
The tracts next to it on Queens County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 155 | 271st | $94,375±$14,122 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 147 | 272nd | $94,180±$23,201 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 57 | 273rd | $94,142±$14,241 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 465 | 274th | $94,125±$40,958 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 542 | 274th | $94,125±$32,891 |
| Tract 1195 | 276th | $94,010±$32,250 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 779.05 | 277th | $94,000±$22,281 · within the margin of this tract |
"Within the margin": the two incomes differ by less than their combined 90% margins, so the survey cannot say which is higher and the ranks between them are not firm.
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Census Tract 542?
2 of the 18 figures for Census Tract 542 on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
A census tract's figures rest on a few hundred sampled households over five years, so its margins are wider than a city's. Two tracts differ only when the gap between them is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins). How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · Check it at data.census.gov
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections