New York City’s Population Drops For The First Time In Years

Here’s why people are leaving.

New York City's population dipped for the first time in years. These new numbers reverse two years of growth.

New York City Sees Slight Dip In Population

New York City is seeing a slight dip in its population after more people left the city last year than moved in.

According to new data from the Citizens Budget Commission, New York City lost 114,000 more New Yorkers to other U.S. cities than it gained in 2025.

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The Citizens Budget Commission says the population decline is driven by residents fleeing due to the high cost of living, lack of living space, and safety concerns.

Top Factors For Leaving

• Cost of Living: 76 percent.
• Safety: 73 percent
• Living Space: 60 percent.

Plus, the study found that just 34 percent of people living in New York City rate the city's quality of life excellent or good in 2025. That's a huge drop from 51 percent in 2017.

Who Is Leaving?

Residents across all income levels are moving out, but working and middle-class residents are moving out the most.

The commission says a lot of the population loss was low to middle income New Yorkers, even though the city is having a hard time attracting high-income earners.

Drop In International Migration

Officials note that the population drop is mostly due to a 70 percent drop in international migration.

There were 220,000 international new arrivals in 2024 compared to just 66,000 in 2025,

Most Didn't Go For

The study shows that a lot of people who left the city didn't go far, as the majority moved to Long Island and New Jersey. Those living the New York/New Jersey market most commonly move to Florida, California, and Texas

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