New York is the fastest shrinking state in the U.S., according to the latest Census data. However, population declines have not been even across the state.
Between 2020 and 2023, 80 percent of the Empire State’s towns and cities decreased in numbers. In 2023, New York was one of only eight states with shrinking populations, alongside California, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.
New York City saw some of the most significant declines in population, especially during the first years after the pandemic. Analysis by Cornell University found that the city’s population plunged by nearly 4 percent—more than 336,000 people—in the first year of the pandemic alone as people migrated to less dense counties and even neighboring states.
The map below shows which other counties have seen significant population declines since 2020.
Between 2020 and 2023, Bronx County had the fastest shrinking population, with a growth rate of -7 percent. …