Most of upstate New York continues to lose people

(Phys.org) -- Although New York state grew by 87,093 people in the 15 months after the 2010 census, 37 upstate counties lost population, according to new U.S. Census Bureau population estimates.

County-level census data shows 19,465,197 people were living in the state n July 1, 2011, and that New York state's population growth -- 0.45 percent -- was half the 0.9 percent growth rate for the country.

Jan Vink, research support specialist for Cornell's Program on Applied Demographics -- part of the Bronfenbrenner Life Course Center in the College of Human Ecology -- analyzed county-by-county data and found:

• 37 of New York's 62 counties saw an estimated population decrease.

• The New York City area had the fourth-largest population increase in the nation at 118,791 people.

• The New York City and Mid-Hudson regions are the only regions that grew faster than the state average. The biggest numeric loss (-2,660) was in western New York and the biggest percentage loss (-0.4 percent) in the Mohawk Valley.

• Broome, Erie and Sullivan counties lost the most residents.
• Tompkins County gained 159 residents.

"For most of the counties and the regions in New York, it's kind of a continuation of the trend from the last decade," Vink said. "People are leaving, but there are also fewer people coming in to the state."