Public controversies about education in New York typically leave out discussion about the private--religious and independent--schools that educate nearly 20% of students in New York City and more than 10% of students in the rest of the state. This report uses publicly available data from the New York State Education Department and the U.S. Census Bureau to describe the importance of these schools to the overall educational enterprise of the city and state. Four themes emerge from the data presented in this brief: (1) Demographic change; (2) New York City is more diverse than its public schools; (3) Private schools defy generalization; and (4) Not all public schools serve heterogeneous populations.