#Great census news is a sign that NY’s future will be brighter than ever

Friday’s census numbers show that New York City’s population swelled to a record 8.8 million in 2020, up 7.7 percent from 2010. That’s proof of Gotham’s continued vitality, despite COVID — and reason to believe the best is yet to come as we escape not just the pandemic but the entire de Blasio-Cuomo era.

Consider: The city’s net gain of more than 629,000 people totaled more than the increase for Houston, Dallas, Phoenix and Los Angeles combined. (Brooklyn alone is now a match for the population of Chicago, the No. 2 US city, at 2.7 million.) That’s fundamental proof that New York remains a unique draw for those seeking a better life.

Yes, the city faces big challenges: No one knows how many office jobs will remain remote-only now that everyone knows that can work. And it’s vital to reverse the recent rise in crime: Restoring public safety was the fundamental reason for the renaissance of the last three decades.

But mayor-in-waiting Eric Adams won by vowing to confront crime and understands the overriding need to get commuters back. He’ll be beefing up the NYPD and going after the drivers of crime — career criminals and gun-toting street gangs — and pushing lawmakers to reverse recent pro-thug “reforms.” And now he can point to last decade’s growth as reason for businesses to bet on New York yet again.

Brooklynite Nick Ambro put it perfectly to The Post: “People are always going to come to New York. It’s not one of those cities that dies, you know.”

Darn right. Get ready for the city to reopen — and climb to even higher heights.