Census Data Shows Sharp Population Decrease in Parts of NY State

Orange County was once one of the fastest growing counties in all of New York state from 2000 to 2010. Now, population growth has slowed considerably in Orange, while other areas in the Hudson Valley and New York state are seeing more and more people leave.

New county population estimates show continued declines between 2010 and 2014 in places north of New York City and its suburbs. Dutchess and Putnam counties were flat, with populations fell 0.3 percent and 0.2 percent, respectively. Places like Ulster and Sullivan counties are losing population, with Sullivan losing more than 2 percent of it's residents in the past 5 years. Rural counties in the Southern Tier and Western New York   lost the most, as 40 counties saw population declines totally nearly 45,000 people over the five years, or about 1.3 percent of its population. Read more HERE. 

According to figures released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau, the state's overall population grew by 1.8 percent, due mainly to the higher counts in the NYC metropolitan area. Over the last five years, Brooklyn and Queens led the state in estimated population growth, increasing by more than 4 percent each. Rockland County was third, with about a 4 percent increase in people. Westchester saw an increase of about 2.3 percent.

Overall, 40 of New York's 62 counties saw a decrease in population. Many residents from upstate are leaving for warmer states like Florida and Texas. Others are leaving due to a sluggish economy in this region of the state.