New York City is watching its future walk right out the door.
The city has lost a staggering $14 billion dollars in income as residents flee to Ron DeSantis’ Florida.
And New York is losing billions as residents flee to Florida in shocking numbers that reveal a troubling trend.
New Yorkers voting with their feet by the thousands
More than 125,000 New Yorkers have fled the Empire State for Florida in recent years, taking nearly $14 billion in income with them, according to a new report from the Citizens Budget Commission.
The nonpartisan fiscal watchdog found that about a third of those Big Apple residents — some 41,251 people — flocked to Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, and Broward Counties over a five-year period between 2018 and 2022.
Just these three counties alone accounted for approximately a $10 billion reduction in New York City’s adjusted gross income.
The remaining $3.8 billion walked out the door with the more than 85,000 other former New Yorkers who relocated to other parts of the Sunshine State.
These weren’t just average income earners either.Â
The approximately 26,000 people who moved from New York to Miami-Dade county had a per-capita income of over $266,000 – while those who moved to Palm Beach County earned a sturdy $189,000.
“The key is with any place you need the benefits to outweigh the cost. The question right now for New York is what do we offer?” Andrew Rein, President of the Citizens Budget Commission, told the New York Post.
New York’s progressive politics driving away residents
While Democrat leaders in New York seem confused about why residents are fleeing, the data paints a clear picture.
The percentage of New Yorkers who said life in the city was “good or excellent” dropped from 50% pre-pandemic to just 30% last year.
New York’s COVID lockdowns, mask mandates, school closures, and vaccine passports drove many families to seek freedom elsewhere.Â
Meanwhile, under Governor Ron DeSantis, Florida welcomed them with open arms.
DeSantis protected Floridians from lockdowns, avoided statewide mask mandates, and reopened schools as quickly as possible in 2020 — despite massive media and political pressure.
The Citizens Budget Commission report cited the lingering effects of the pandemic, general affordability, quality-of-life concerns, and safety as primary factors in the mass migration.
Florida thrives while New York struggles
While major cities like New York face population declines, Florida has emerged as one of the fastest-growing states in the country.
The contrast between New York and Florida’s approach to governance is stark, with many former New Yorkers finding Florida’s policies on taxes, public safety, and quality of life more attractive.
The report shows that high-income earners in particular are choosing Florida, with Miami-Dade County attracting residents with an average income of over $266,000, while Palm Beach County drew those earning around $189,000.
The loss of wealthy New Yorkers is particularly significant, as the top 1% of city tax filers contribute 40% of the state’s income taxes, according to the Citizens Budget Commission.
“One of the critical issues of our time is keeping our competitiveness for businesses and residents. We need to focus on ensuring we don’t tax too much, that we are a safe place to live, and that people find quality of life to be high,” Rein said.
Florida wasn’t the only destination for fleeing New Yorkers.Â
Many stayed in the Northeast, with Long Island gaining about 138,000 NYC expats during the same five-year period, resulting in another $11.1 billion drop in adjusted gross income for the city.
Nearly 60,000 former city dwellers also moved to Westchester County, depriving the Big Apple of another $5 billion worth of income.
Combined, relocations within the Northeast cost New York City $22.8 billion in income and resulted in a population drop of more than 230,000 residents.
The message is clear: people vote with their feet when given the chance.
And they are voting against the Democrats’ left-wing policies by the hundreds of thousands.
