Newly released census figures reveal that New York’s population is experiencing an increase due to a significant influx of foreign migrants. This surge is effectively counterbalancing the decline in residents leaving for other states.
According to the recently released Census data, New York experienced a significant increase in its net population, with a growth of nearly 130,000 between 2023 and 2024. This growth is particularly notable as it marks a reversal of the population decline that occurred between 2020 and 2023, during which New York lost 482,257 residents. The data also reveals that New York ranked fifth in the nation for net population growth during the period of 2023-2024.
Foreign-born immigrants have played a significant role in counterbalancing interstate migration from blue states like New York. These states have experienced a loss of residents who have chosen to move to low-tax red states such as Florida, Texas, Utah, South Carolina, Nevada, and others.
According to the latest data, the population of the United States increased by approximately 1.0% from 2023 to 2024, reaching nearly 340 million. This represents the fastest annual growth since 2001. The main factor contributing to this growth is international migration, which has attracted a significant number of newcomers to states like New York and Massachusetts that have implemented ‘sanctuary’ policies and offer generous welfare benefits.
This New Jersey town might become the preferred destination for migrants moving from Texas.
According to Kristie Wilder, a demographer in the Census Bureau’s Population Division, the annual growth rate of 1.0% is higher than in recent years but still falls within historical norms. She highlights the significant shift in the factors driving the nation’s growth, emphasizing the declining role of natural increase and the increasing importance of net international migration over the past five years.
New York City has experienced a significant increase in the number of asylum seekers in recent years, as a result of the historic surge of immigration along the U.S.-Mexico border. Over the past two years, the city has welcomed hundreds of thousands of individuals seeking asylum. Currently, there are more than 56,000 migrants under the care of New York City, and this has led to an annual cost of over $1 billion for the city.
New York state has experienced a net population increase, marking a significant change from its previous years of decline as residents sought refuge in low-tax states. According to a recent report, New York’s population could potentially decrease by approximately 2 million over the next 25 years due to low fertility rates and an aging population, unless these losses are counterbalanced by immigration, both from foreign and domestic sources.
According to experts, the population shifts between red and blue states are influenced more by factors such as housing availability, wage rates, and job opportunities, rather than national politics.
Population declines have significant consequences for a state’s revenue and tax collections. In 2021, New York experienced a staggering loss of $24.5 billion in state-adjusted gross income as its residents migrated to states like New Jersey and Florida, which offer lower tax rates. These figures, obtained from the Internal Revenue Service, highlight the impact of population shifts on a state’s financial situation.
In Albany, state lawmakers are growing more concerned about the exodus of people from the state and how it may affect the economy. They anticipate the introduction of bills in the upcoming legislative session that aim to enhance the state’s business sector and increase its competitiveness.
Republicans have consistently maintained that the primary factors driving New York’s outmigration are the state’s excessively high tax burden, burdensome regulations, and escalating labor costs that have burdened the business sector.
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