Upstate United: Lawmakers Must Take Note of Projected Population Decline in New York State

November 14th, 2024

The following statement can be attributed to Justin Wilcox, Executive Director of Upstate United

“The most recent US Census Bureau data showed us that New York continues to lead the nation in population decline. Nearly a year later, researchers from Cornell University found that the Empire State Exodus is projected to only worsen with the state’s population declining as much as 2 million, from 19.7 million to just over 17 million in the next twenty-five years.

“Trends show that outmigration will remain significant in New York’s population decline. Unfortunately, quality of life and cost of living haven’t helped attract or retain residents in numbers great enough to offset population losses that have exceeded 600,000 since April 2020. New York State can only be as strong as the population that stands behind it, and a population loss of this magnitude is likely to bring serious consequences across the board. Governor Hochul and legislative leaders must take caution to the data and advance meaningful relief and pro-growth reforms before it’s too late.”