Suffolk County Population Falls In 2019 Census

SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY— Continuing a decade-long trend, Suffolk saw a net population decrease in 2019, according to new census data released by the United States Census Bureau. Suffolk lost 4,229 residents between 2018 and 2019, and Nassau saw a reduction of 610 residents.

Suffolk's 2019 population was 1,476,601. New York City also saw population loss, along with many counties in the Northeast and New York State, while metropolitan areas in the Southwest like Dallas, Houston and Austin saw the most increases of metro areas nationally. The New York/ Newark/ Jersey City metropolitan area is still the most populous in the country with over 19 million inhabitants.

Both Long Island counties were ranked among those with the biggest population decrease since 2010 in the country, considered counties that saw a reduction of at least 2,501 residents.

“One interesting trend we have seen this decade is widespread population decline among smaller counties, while larger counties tended to have population growth,” said Dr. Christine Hartley, a demographer in the Census Bureau’s Population Division. “Three out of four counties with a population of less than 10,000 in 2010 had even smaller populations in 2019. At the same time, three out of four counties of 50,000 or more were larger in 2019 compared to 2010.” This pattern among larger counties was particularly evident in the West and South.

The 2020 Census has already begun.