New York City a magnet for the young, for a time
New York haven for the young; not so anywhere near the twilight years. — Reuters file picNEW YORK, Aug 17 — New York City has long been a destination of choice for young up-and-comers, but a new population analysis suggests that, at least for the past decade, the Big Apple has not had the same appeal as a place to grow older.
Since 1990, New York has had an influx of adults aged 20 to 34. But many of those young adults who arrived in the 1990s left once they hit middle age, said a report issued yesterday by the Empire Center for New York State Policy.
As a state, New York experienced the most significant exodus, relative to population, of any US state, losing nearly three million residents over the past two decades.
An influx of immigrants reduced the net loss to about 800,000 residents.
While New York City has been a magnet for young adults, other parts of the state, including upstate New York, the Hudson Valley and Long Island, have seen that population drop sharply, the report said.
“The relative youthfulness of a region's population is in many ways an important precursor of future economic growth,” it said. “Unfortunately, with the notable exception of New York City, New York State got older faster than the rest of the country between 1990 and 2010.” — Reuters
