Posted on 06/13/2006 1:21:33 AM PDT by neverdem
Upstate New York is staggering from an accelerating exodus of young adults, new census results show. The migration is turning many communities grayer, threatening the long-term viability of ailing cities and raising concerns about the state's future tax base.
From 1990 to 2004, the number of 25-to-34-year-old residents in the 52 counties north of Rockland and Putnam declined by more than 25 percent. In 13 counties that include cities like Buffalo, Syracuse and Binghamton, the population of young adults fell by more than 30 percent. In Tioga County, part of Appalachia in New York's Southern Tier, 42 percent fewer young adults were counted in 2004 than in 1990.
"Make no mistake: this is not business as usual," Robert G. Wilmers, the chairman of M & T Bank in Buffalo, told his shareholders this spring. "The magnitude and duration of population loss among the young is unprecedented in our history. There has never been a previous 10-year period in the history of the upstate region when there has been any decline in this most vital portion of our population."
In New York City and the five suburban counties in New York State, the number of people ages 18 to 44 increased by 1.5 percent in the 1990's. Upstate, it declined by 10 percent.
Over all, the upstate population grew by 1.1 percent in the 1990's — slower than the rate for any state except West Virginia and North Dakota.
Population growth upstate might have lagged even more but for the influx of 21,000 prison inmates, who accounted for 30 percent of new residents. During the first half of the current decade, the pace of depopulation actually increased in many places.
David Shaffer, president of the Public Policy Institute, which is affiliated with the Business Council of New York State, described the...
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Its expensive in a Blue State. In a southern state, you can get big, decent housing for less than $200,000 for a family of four. No wonder the Northeast and California are losing people. Every one is moving to where there's a better quality of life, lower taxes and a chance for some real happiness.
Are they sure they are actually leaving? Isn't it possible they were never born in the first place?
The only downside is liberals bringing their voting habits elsewhere and recreating the very conditions they're fleeing.
It's called voting with one's feet. One doesn't have to live under onerous laws and tax rates yet. If I had both Schumer AND Hillary! "representing" me, I'd be working on an escape plan too.
New York is a cornucopia and about the only people who can live there pull in six figure incomes. The most Americans will come close to it is on TV. They brace themselves for sticker shocker if they visit the Big Apple as tourists.
"Among all people who left Erie County, according to an analysis by M & T Bank of data from 2003 tax returns, about half moved elsewhere in the state. About as many moved to Los Angeles County as moved to either Manhattan or Brooklyn."
Yup. And Lake Placid and Niagara Falls are a myth. Ever been to New York?
Every one wants to be where the fun and excitement is. That means high demand, low supply and every thing commands a premium. Go figure.
If it weren't for the city, it'd be a Red state.
For sure as per the debaucle of Bush v Gore 2000; created in Orange County, Florida. . .if these people do not figure it out. . .they will catch up with themselves. . .
Most of them aren't liberals, according to the map the conservative parts of the state are losing the greatest amounts of population.
You only have to worry if they say they are from Manhattan.
No question re the beauty of New York state.
Wonder what color is the vote of NYT's Phillippe Diederich. . .
In that specific age demographic?
Solution to this problem? Make New York City into a State. That way, New York will become a red state and will have easier time keeping young people after the government reduce taxes and eliminate some red tape.
I have no idea what you are talking about or what that has to do with my question.
Ever been to New York?
Yes. Have you?
I bet the only wall New York liberals will support is the one to keep the young adults from leaving. :-)
Truthfully, the Niagara Falls looks better on the Canadian side. Trust me, I went on both sides of the border to get a look at the falls. But its really spectacular in Ontario and you can't beat the view in the Skylon restaurant.
Liberalism killed a beautiful state. Somehow the NYT forgot to write about why everyone with a clue is leaving. Could it be the outrageous taxes, unions, and regulation? You wouldn't know if you just read the NYT.
I grew up in upstate and loved it but there is absolutely no way I could live there now. There were eight kids in my family. Six have moved out of state. The other two are lawyers, feeding off the carcasses of upstaters that weren't smart enough to get the heck out of New York State.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.