RIGHT SPEAK: Escape from NY: Two-thirds of State’s Residents Think About Leaving — or Know Someone Who Is: Poll; NYC Lost 114K New Yorkers Across All Income Levels to Other Cities Last Year: Study

REUTERS
Escape from NY: Two-thirds of state’s residents think about leaving — or know someone who is: poll

A new Empire Center for Public Policy survey of 600 New York state residents found that 33% are mulling packing their bags, and another 30% know someone who might.

Most respondents, 30%, cited taxes as the biggest issue pushing them out of state, with the cost of living, cited by 25%, coming in second.

Politics and governance (15%) and safety (6%) were the next biggest issues, and housing affordability (6%) followed.

New York state has lost nearly a million residents since Gov. Kathy Hochul took over in 2021, with many critics blaming her tax and spend policies for driving residents out.

Gotham lost 114,000 residents in 2025 with Gen Zers fleeing the city faster than any other metro area, a Redfin analysis found.

A James Dolan-bankrolled Super PAC supporting GOP nominee and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman has poked fun at the Empire State Exodus with a series of new billboards displayed across the state.

“You are Now Leaving NY (Like Everyone Else) Vote Bruce Blakeman,” read the Strong and Safe New York Inc-funded ads, alongside headshots of Hochul and Blakeman.

Billionaires Ken Griffin and Marc Rowan have threatened to move thousands of jobs out of state over Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s aggressively anti-rich policies. --->READ MORE HERE

NYC lost 114K New Yorkers across all income levels to other cities last year: study

New York City lost more residents than those who moved in last year, according to a new study from the Citizens’ Budget Commission released Monday.
The Citizens Budget Commission reported that the city’s overall population declined in 2025.

The study explained further that the population decline is due to the 70% drop in New Yorkers moving to other areas and international migration.

According to the study, “Across all income levels, more people moved out of New York City than moved in last year.”

Last year, New York City lost 114,000 more residents to other US cities than it gained.

Although it’s an increase from 2024, it still did not surpass the pandemic-era exodus.

The study also found that in 2024, New York City lost more low- and middle-income residents than it did high-income residents.

More New Yorkers with incomes in the bottom 40% moved out between 2023 and 2024.

New York City is often criticized for its high cost of living. Mayor Zohran Mamdani pledged to tackle affordability with a government-run grocery store and rent freezes.
Fox News Digital previously reported on residents claiming Mamdani is backtracking on campaign promises to lower housing costs, pointing to a proposed property tax hike, rising water bills and higher electricity costs as signs that life is only getting more expensive.

Mamdani’s office did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

The city’s losses came after New York Gov. Kathy Hochul lamented the flight of wealthy tax-paying residents to red states like Florida and Texas. --->READ MORE HERE