Moving In, Moving Out:
The effects of domestic migration on populations and regional incomes in the Hudson Valley
New data from the federal government show that all parts of the Hudson Valley lost more people to domestic migration than they gained in 2021, a transition year that included the first expansive rollout of Covid-19 vaccines, the end of many mask mandates, and a record number of home sales throughout our region.
As the pandemic cooled and people tip-toed back toward normality, the Hudson Valley experienced some of its worst population losses due to migration in the past 25 years. The region lost a net of 12,257 people who moved to other counties and states in 2021. It was the biggest loss since 2005, a year that saw many people move from the Hudson Valley to New York City as part of a post-9/11 return to the metropolitan area.
The loss of 12,257 people might not be felt in a region of more than 2 million, but the cumulative losses are becoming more statistically significant for the Hudson Valley. From 1996-2021, the region lost a net of 146,763 people to outward migration, a number that represents about 5% of our total population. Previous studies by Pattern have found that three demographic factors – outward migration, declining birth rates, and a growing wave of retirements among the baby boomer generation – are exerting significant stress on our regional workforce.
