New Yorkers Are Fleeing State In Droves, A New Study Finds

NEW YORK CITY — The Empire State is a hot spot for moving, as in "away."

New York ranked third in the nation among states with the most outbound moves in 2021, according to a new study by United Van Lines.

Data showed more people moving away from major metropolises toward smaller, midsized towns and cities, according to UCLA economist Michael A. Stoll.

You guessed it, COVID-19 is likely to blame.

“We’re seeing this not only occur because of Americans’ desire to leave high density areas due to risk of infection," Stoll said in a statement, "but also due to the transformation of how we’re able to work, with more flexibility to work remote.”

The study illustrates what many New Yorkers know from experience — the city and state emptied out as the pandemic struck.

Yet the United Van Line study, which focused on statewide data, found most of those who fled cited family reasons, followed by retirement and lifestyle.

Only 9 percent of people who moved cited health as their primary reason, the study found.

The study didn't specify where New Yorkers moved, but listed the states that received the most new moves in 2021:

1. Vermont
2. South Dakota
3. South Carolina
4. West Virginia
5. Florida
6. Alabama
7. Tennessee
8. Oregon
9. Idaho
10. Rhode Island

The study didn't include local data, but a recent study by former city's Comptroller Scott Stringer, estimated roughly 131,000 New York City dwellers permanently left the Big Apple during the span from March 2020 to June 2021.

One group in particular appeared particularly keen to flee, at least temporarily: the rich, the comptroller's study notes.

New Yorkers from the wealthiest city neighborhoods were nearly 5 times more likely to leave than other residents during 2020, according to the study.

"Residents from the city’s wealthiest neighborhoods were the most likely to leave," the comptroller study states.

But Stringer's study also found signs people are moving back to New York City —a net gain of about 6,000 people permanently moved back to the city starting in July 2021.

Read the full study here.