Pandemic pushed people to leave NYC. Here is where they settled

In the spring and summer of 2020, New York City became unusually quiet and empty. When people began to leave, some headlines called it the end of New York City. Two years later, the city appears to be busier and more alive than ever. However, NYC's population is still declining. 

Eight out of the ten largest U.S. cities lost their population during the first year of the pandemic, according to the U.S. Census Bureau data. New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Chicago are on top of this list with the highest decline in the number of residents, U.S. News reports.  

New York City has lost 300,000 people since the start of the pandemic, The City estimates suggest. Manhattan saw the biggest drop in population among the five boroughs. It accounted for one-third of the total population decline. 

To calculate this number, the Census Bureau took the 2020 New York population count, which reached 8.8 million people, and then added births, subtracted deaths, and tracked the migration across the country. The findings suggest that the number of people born in the city actually exceeded the number of people who died, including from COVID. However, many residents moved away, and as a result, the population declined to 8.5 million as of July 1, 2021. 

Most people who left New York City are settling in the suburbs and New Jersey, according to the Internal Revenue Service data. Florida, California, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut also saw an influx of New Yorkers moving in. 

Resources:
“NYC’s Population Plummeted During Peak COVID — And It’s Still Likely Shrinking,” by Suhail Bhat (The City, 2022)

“US Census Bureau: Big City Losses Early in COVID Pandemic,” by Associated Press (U.S. News, 2022)

“SOI Tax Stats - Migration Data 2019–2020,” (Internal Revenue Service)