Most people can't wait to get the hell out of New York state. And don't just take my word for it-- based on the most recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau, New York saw the biggest decline in population out of every state in the nation in 2023.

New York lost nearly 102,000 residents this year, which is less than the 180,000 decrease from last year, but still far more than any other state in the country. New York was one of eight states that lost population in 2023, along with California, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Oregon, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

WHY ARE PEOPLE MOVING OUT OF NEW YORK STATE?

You're going to get a lot of differing opinions here, and a lot of them are political in nature. But politics aside, no one will argue that it just costs so damn much to live here. New Yorkers are taxed to high heaven -- the most of any other state -- and many people aren't happy with where those tax dollars are going.

Let's forget about New York City for a moment, since it tends to have a disproportionate impact on studies encompassing the state as a whole. The argument for living Upstate used to be the low cost of living. But even that's no longer true.

The median price to rent a 2-bedroom apartment in the Utica/Rome area is around $1500. You can find 2-bedroom units in cities like Chicago, Phoenix, and Austin for similar prices -- cities with infinitely more to offer.

If New York wants to keep more of its population going forward, there's really only one solution that I can see: Bring In-N-Out Burger to New York State!