One In Four NYers Plan To Flee State, Survey Finds

NEW YORK CITY — Start spreading the news, more than a quarter of residents plan on leaving New York, New York.

A substantial portion — 27 percent — of New Yorkers surveyed said they plan to leave the Empire State in five years, according to a Siena College poll released Wednesday.

"Large majorities of New Yorkers say the quality of life in the Empire State is excellent or good, and that they are happy that they live here," said Don Levy, the director of Siena College Research Institute, in a statement.

"But about 30% say they wish they lived elsewhere and 31% plan to leave New York when they retire."

Perhaps unsurprisingly, New York City dwellers rated the state higher on 13 aspects of life — ranging from leisure activities to access to quality education and healthcare — than those who live outside the city, according to the poll.

“When you simultaneously consider New Yorkers’ ratings of the state on all 13 of these aspects of life, we find that New York City residents rate the state higher than do NYC suburbs who in turn rate the state higher than do Upstaters," Levy said.

"Democrats, those over 50, white residents and those 35-49 rate the state most highly while through the eyes of Republicans, independents, Blacks and those earning under $50K a year, the state receives the lowest grades."

Nearly 80 percent of New Yorkers surveyed rated the state's availability of leisure activities excellent, with more than 70 percent each said the same about the presence of people they enjoy, access to quality education, access to quality healthcare and as a place where people become successful, the poll found.

By contrast, 67 percent rated the state as no better than fair on affordability and 60 percent said the same about it being a place to retire, the poll found. A majority of residents — 57 percent — rated the state as fair in terms of being a place where the political system works for people like them, according to the poll.

"Residents are split – 51% excellent or good but 49% only fair or poor – on New York being a place where they feel safe from crime," the poll states.

Read the full poll here.