Most parts of New York remained less populated in 2024 than in 2020 as the state struggled to bounce back from the Covid-19 pandemic, according to an Empire Center report published today.

The report, based on analysis of Census Bureau data, finds that the state’s losses were concentrated in New York City, which had gained back less than a quarter of its population decline in 2021 and 2022.

New York as a whole lost 1.8 percent of its residents over the first four years of this decade, which was more than any state except West Virginia – a sign that it’s likely to forfeit more seats in Congress (and in the Electoral College) after the next decennial census.

“These trends point to the need for a new direction in state and city policy, one that prioritizes affordability and economic opportunity while avoiding the excessive taxes and regulations that make it hard to live and do business in New York,” says the report, authored by Empire Center Senior Fellow Bill Hammond with research assistance from McCall Zeutzius.

The full report is available at EmpireCenter.org. For more information or to schedule an interview, contact Bill Hammond at [email protected].

The Empire Center, based in Albany, is an independent, not-for-profit, non-partisan think tank dedicated to promoting policies that can make New York a better place to live, work and raise a family.