One-third of New Yorkers plan to leave the state in the next five years. A survey released Wednesday by the Siena College Research Institute (SCRI) showed that 27% of New York residents are fed up with living in The Empire State.
Crime, according to the survey, is one of the issues that concern New Yorkers. Forty-nine percent of respondents say they do not feel at all confident about how the state government intends to address this problem. They are also not happy with the state's cost of living. Sixty-seven percent say they find it quite expensive to live in the state versus 33% who say the cost of living in New York is about right.
Another issue of concern to respondents is raising children in the state. More than a quarter of the respondents (26%) said that they view the education their children receive as negative, and 39% said they do not consider the state to be the ideal place for their children to grow up. Residents also lack confidence in the state's medical care. Twenty-seven percent believe that public health care is deficient in New York.
These are not the only reasons. The current administration also generates discontent among New York residents. More than half of those polled, 57%, said they take a dim view of state representatives and, especially, the state's current tax hike.
All of these reasons, the survey notes, contribute to why 31% of respondents plan to leave New York as soon as they retire. This is a worrying number, said SCRI Director Don Levy:
These are high numbers. These are take your breath away numbers. Most plan to stay but 27% say that they will leave the state within the next five years. While only 38% give the state an excellent or good rating as a place to retire, 60% plan to spend their golden years here. Still, 31%, including 39% of young people and 41% of Republicans, plan to retire elsewhere.
From New York to Florida
The New York exodus has already begun. According to the New York Post, more than 10,000 New Yorkers have decided to move to Florida so far in 2023. The Florida Department of Highway Safety said 10,824 New Yorkers had switched their driver's licenses to The Sunshine State.
This follows the trend of New Yorkers moving to Florida that has been going on for years. In the first quarter of 2022, the New York Post recalls, a total of 14,834 also decided to change their New York automobile license to The Sunshine State.
New York police officers are one of the population groups relocating to Florida. The state tops the nation in law enforcement recruitment. In 2022, Florida added more than 1,750 new officers to its ranks. Among them were 200 officers who moved from California, Texas, Pennsylvania and New York. Kevin is one of them:
My name is Kevin Williams. In September 2022, I was hired as a Police Officer with the Bradenton Police Department. My family and I are extremely gracious and blessed to obtain the Law Enforcement Recruitment Bonus as our relocation from New York to Florida was expeditious. The bonus assisted us in many ways including offsetting relocation fees and more importantly, giving us peace of mind by reaffirming our decision to relocate. In addition to the bonus, the great state of Florida has offered us so much opportunity including the Step Up for Children tuition program and an education system that has truly set our children up for success.
