Census Bureau data indicated that New York lost 2.1% of its population in just two years, a higher percentage than any other state in the country. The state's population estimate as of July 1, 2020, was 20.1 million people. As of the same date in 2021, the valuation was just under 19.9 million, and last July, the Census Bureau estimated it had a population of nearly 19.7 million.
"Democratic policies" and the pandemic
Republican leaders have pointed to Democratic policies as the main reasons for the population losses. In particular, they have criticized the state's bail reforms and high tax rates for causing the exodus. Senator Robert Ortt noted:
I have heard from countless New Yorkers who are fed up with rising costs, rising crime, and the lack of checks and balances at our state Capitol (...) Our state's rapidly declining population reflects that sentiment.
Empire Center for Public Policy founder EJ McMahon also pointed to the pandemic as one of the factors behind the large exodus of people from the state.
A blog post by the think tank revealed "during the combined two-year period, New York lost 651,742 net residents to other states, surpassing the combined populations of Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse."
Census data also revealed that Idaho had the highest population increase of all states. With more than 1.9 million residents, the increase of approximately 90,000 people since 2020, which as of this year represented a 4.9% jump.
