Poll: More Than A Quarter Of New Yorkers Want Out

A recent poll shows that many New York residents don’t intend to stay here for much longer.

On April 12, 2023, the Siena College Research Institute released a poll that asked New Yorkers how they felt about living in the Empire State. One question asked, “Do you plan to continue to live in New York, or do you think you’ll leave New York within the next five years?” More than one-quarter of respondents—27%, to be exact—stated that they thought they would move out of New York within the next five years. Among persons nearing retirement age (ages 50-64), 37% of respondents indicated that they believed that they would leave the state within five years. Also, the poll showed that 38% of Latinos, 34% of African-Americans, 34% of Protestants, and 32% of upstate residents thought they would leave New York within five years. A staggering 40% of Republican Party members asserted that they believed they would move away within five years.

These figures should raise alarm bells for New York’s elected officials. New York struggled to maintain its population level even before the COVID-19 pandemic began. Following the onset of the pandemic, the state’s depopulation problem accelerated. According to the Empire Center, New York’s population decreased by 319,020—a record for population decline in the state—between July 1, 2020 and July 1, 2021, and decreased by another 180,341 during the ensuing 12-month period.

Other data from the Siena poll suggest some of the factors that may be driving New Yorkers’ desire to leave the Empire State. While the state received favorable ratings on recreational activities, education, health care, and opportunities for success, most respondents gave the state low ratings on affordability and on the functioning of the political system. Furthermore, nearly half of respondents (49%) rated the state “fair” or “poor” on public safety.

At New Yorker’s Family Research Foundation, we understand why so many New Yorkers are thinking about moving elsewhere. New York’s high cost of living, deeply misguided government, and ever-increasing embrace of godlessness make the state increasingly unattractive—especially for Christian families. However, it is our prayer that the Lord will call some believers to remain here and join us in the struggle for our state’s future.