New York's big exodus: almost half a million residents have left the city in three years

A new report from the Census Bureau (USCB) estimated that at least 468,200 residents left New York City between April 2020 and July 2022. The figure represents a 5.3% decrease in the city's population.

New York has topped the list of cities with the most significant population outflows over the past three years. The most considerable loss occurred between 2020 and 2021. That year alone, the population was reduced by more than 281,000 people.

Some cities surpass NYC in loss ratio

Based on the cities' population rate, three other cities recorded more significant resident losses, by percentage, than NYC during the same period. However, the Big Apple still leads the list for having the most significant departure by population, as the city remains the most populous in the nation, with 8.3 million residents.

The cities that surpassed NYC in the percentage of population loss are:

- San Francisco (California) lost 7.5% of its residents

- Lake Charles (Louisiana) lost 6.9% of its inhabitants

- Revere (Massachusetts) lost 5.9% of its residents

On the other hand, the population of Los Angeles (California) decreased by about 76,000. LA is the second largest city in the country, with more than 3.8 million residents. Chicago, Illinois - the third most populous city - with an estimated 2,665,039 residents, lost more than 81,000 residents since April 2020.

States with the highest population growth: Florida, Texas and Arizona

Florida was the winner in the list of states that increased their population the most. The Sunshine State gained about 655,200 residents since the beginning of 2020 and increased its population the most between 2020 and 2022.

In addition, data from the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles revealed that more than 126,000 New Yorkers had exchanged their NYC driver's licenses for Florida IDs since the beginning of 2021.

Other states that reflected significant positive changes due to an increase in population include:

- Texas: the city of Houston experienced a slight decrease in population from 2020 to 2021. However, it managed to increase its residents, reaching a population of 2.3 million in July last year. Likewise, Georgetown had the most significant population boom in 2022, with a 14.4% increase in population between 2020 and 2022.

- Arizona: Phoenix recorded a steady increase of nearly 46,000 people over the three years, recording an estimated 1,644,409 residents in July 2022.