According to Albany think tank The Empire Center for Public Policy, recent U.S. Census data shows New York as highest in domestic migration loss since 2010. Illinois, California and New Jersey follow with significant losses in residents compared to the rest of the country. On the contrary, states like Texas and Florida gained the most in domestic migration during that time.
Most losses
• New York
• Illinois
•California
• New Jersey
•Michigan
Most gains
• Texas
• Florida
• North Carolina
• Colorado
• South Carolina
It is important to note that the U.S. Census Bureau doesn’t survey the people in this migration data, but The Empire Center speculates that these are possible reasons for why New York sustains the most losses:
High downstate housing costs
Housing is more expensive now than ever in the downstate regions of New York City, Long Island, and the lower Hudson Valley. In 2011, NYU’s Furman Center documented a third of New York City residents allocating 50 percent or more of their income to rent and utility costs. Those housing burdens have only grown since the report completed in 2012. Rapid gentrification in neighborhoods like Long Island City and Astoria only contribute to the rising living costs.
High upstate unemployment rate and weak job prospect
Upstate New York continues to suffer a job crisis.Empire Center analysis finds that the 50 upstate counties are falling behind downstate New York areas and U.S. trends in employment growth. In the manufacturing industry alone, upstate New York has lost 227,000 jobs since 1990. The education and health services jobs fare better in growth and size, but both upstate and downstate still lag behind the national growth rate in this sector.
High taxes all over the state
Neither corporations nor individuals escape New York’s heavy taxes. New Yorkers’ personal income taxes including state and city rates are second highest in the country, and it’s not any easier with a family (most income levels pay higher taxes than other places).
See the full Empire Center report on New York mass migration below.
© 2014, Syracuse Post-Standard
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