Brian Lehrer: It's The Brian Lehrer Show on WNYC. Good morning again, everyone. It's membership drive quiz time, today a population quiz. Do you think you know who lives where in our area and elsewhere? 212-433-WNYC if you want to play, 212-433-9692. If you answer two population questions in a row right, you'll win a Brian Lehrer Show baseball cap. Call up and give it a shot. You definitely do not need to be a Census Bureau employee or expert to get these questions right. 212-433-9692.

If you're new around here, what is this? We are in our annual fall membership drive. During the beginning of the 11 o'clock hour of the show every day during the drive, we're bringing back a perennial favorite, a low-stakes pop quiz. We don't give grades, but yes, we do give prizes. Again, get two in a row right and you'll win the ever-popular Brian Lehrer Show chambray blue baseball hat. Who wants to give it a shot? 212-433-WNYC, 212-433-9692.

Today a population quiz written mostly by Brian Lehrer Show producer Carl Boisrond. As your calls are coming in, I'll just tell you that we'll have a different quiz right at this time every day in the drive, different topic each day. Today it's population. Tomorrow it'll be a New York Area subway and rail lines quiz. That one's going to be really fun, but now it's population. Who wants to come out and play and try to win a prize? 212-433-WNYC, 433-9692. All right. Billy in Montclair is first up today. Hey, Billy. Ready to play?

Billy: Yes, I am. Thank you.

Brian Lehrer: All right. First question, just to make sure you're awake. True or false, New York City is the most populous city in the United States?

Billy: True.

Brian Lehrer: True. One more for the hat. Within five, how many US states have a population smaller than New York City? How many states have a population smaller than New York City within five?

Billy: 10.

Brian Lehrer: 10 is not within five. Billy, thanks for trying. The answer, in case listeners, you didn't know how big New York City really is, 38. According to the Census Bureau, the 2020 census results, 38 states have populations smaller than New York City. All right, Kim in Ridgewood, that's Ridgewood, NJ, not Ridgewood, Queens. Right, Kim?

Kim: That's correct.

Brian Lehrer: Okay. Ready to play?

Kim: Yes, hopefully.

Brian Lehrer: Within a million, what was New York City's population in the 2020 census?

Kim: Eight.

Brian Lehrer: Eight is right. 8.8 million. Yes, though recent figures indicate the city's population has shrunk by a few hundred thousand since then, but it was 8.8 million. As a historical comparison, within a million, what was the city's population in the 1920 census?

Kim: Oh, two?

Brian Lehrer: It wasn't that small. It was 5.6 million. Thanks for trying, Kim. That's an indication of how the city has grown over time. Five plus million people 100 years ago, close to 9 million, or at least over 8 million people today. One of the reasons we have the housing shortage that we have. Daniel in San Francisco is next up. Daniel, ready to play?

Daniel: Let's do it.

Brian Lehrer: By the luck of the draw, you actually get a California question here. Which of these two-

Daniel: How about that?

Brian Lehrer: -states has the greater population, New York or California?

Daniel: That's going to be California, biggest in the nation

Brian Lehrer: With about 40 million people, biggest in the nation. New York has a little under 20 million. California is the most populous state. New York is fourth. What are the two states between us, number two and three in population size? You need to name both.

Daniel: Texas.

Brian Lehrer: Yes.

Daniel: In between us, Illinois?

Brian Lehrer: Sorry. Did you think I meant geographically? No.

Daniel: [laughs] If I say yes, do I get to keep going?

Brian Lehrer: No. Then obviously, you didn't. Daniel, thank you for trying. It was Florida. California is first with about 40 million, Texas about 30 million, Florida about 20 million. That's how much of a gap there is between one, two, and three. Then New York is a little less than 20 million. Close to Florida, but below it. All right. Kevin in Sunnyside, ready to play?

Kevin: Yes, absolutely.

Brian Lehrer: Rank our three local states by population in descending order, so from highest to lowest. Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, which has the most, the second most, the third most population?

Kevin: I want to say New York, New Jersey, Connecticut.

Brian Lehrer: That's correct. Rank those three states by population density in descending order.

Kevin: New Jersey, Connecticut, New York.

Brian Lehrer: That would be correct. That is right. Kevin, you win a Brian Lehrer Show baseball hat. Hang on, we're going to take your address off the air. Yes, population density because of population per area. Thomas in Summit, ready to play?

Thomas: I hope so.

Brian Lehrer: Within 10 points-- Well, actually, sorry, I skipped one. You may like it being in Summit. Now that we established population and population density, what's the actual population of New Jersey as of the 2020 census within a million?

Thomas: 8 million.

Brian Lehrer: Oh, you're a little low. They had it at 9.2 million. 8 million didn't quite make it. Thanks for trying. Bob in Jackson Heights, ready to play?

Bob: Absolutely. Very excited.

Brian Lehrer: By the way, it's an interesting comparison, New York as a city, New Jersey as a state, very close in population, a little over 9 million for New Jersey, a little under 9 million for New York City. Within 10 points, what is the share of foreign-born residents in New York City based on the census?

Bob: Wow. Born outside of the United States?

Brian Lehrer: Yes.

Bob: 40%.

Brian Lehrer: 40% is a right answer. It's 36% foreign-born-

Thomas: Wow.

Brian Lehrer: -of those living in New York City, how about the percentage of foreign-born residents nationally in the 2020 census within 10 points?

Bob: For foreign-born residents in the United States?

Brian Lehrer: Yes. We know it's 36% in New York City. How about nationally?

Bob: Oh my gosh, probably be less. 25%.

Brian Lehrer: 25%. Oh my goodness. Oh, you were one point outside it. I can't give it to you, but it was 14% of the US population, which is about equal to the peak of the Ellis Island era as it turns out. Bob, thanks for trying. Louise in Manhattan, ready to play?

Louise: Yes. Hi.

Brian Lehrer: Hi, Louise. After English, this one's easy, what's the most spoken language in New York City?

Louise: Spanish.

Brian Lehrer: Yes. Now of the next five, after English and Spanish, can you name any two?

Louise: Chinese.

Brian Lehrer: Yes.

Louise: I would say either Italian or Russian.

Brian Lehrer: We're going to give it to you because Russian is right. I didn't make you choose between Italian and Russian. The next five after English and Spanish are in order according to the city stats, Chinese, then Russian, then French Creole, then Bengali, then Yiddish, and I think I remember the chart. Italian comes right after those. Hang on, Louise. We're going to take your address and send you a WNYC baseball hat. All right. We have time for one more contestant, and it's going to be Genevieve in Manhattan. Hi, Genevieve.

Genevieve: Hi.

Brian Lehrer: Northeast or New Jersey is home to which of these named ethnic enclaves? Choose all that apply. Little Lima, Little Istanbul, Little India. It can be any of those. It can be none of those. It can be all of those.

Genevieve: Little India.

Brian Lehrer: The answer is all of the above. Little Lima is in Patterson, Little Istanbul is also in Patterson, and there are several neighborhoods known as Little India in New Jersey, including an area of Jersey Square in Journal City. That is our population quiz for today. That was pretty fun. We gave away a few baseball caps and I think we all learned some things. I know I learned some things from this quiz that Carl Boisrond, our producer prepared and some other things I looked up in conjunction with it. I hope that was fun. Tomorrow it'll be a New York City subway and rail lines quiz at this time. Cassidy Hutchinson is our next guest. Stay with us. Brian Lehrer on WNYC.

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