Regional Performance
Between July 1, 2020, and July 1, 2021, the eight-county region’s population grew by 1,212 or 0.1% to 1,106,274. The only other Regional Economic Development Council region to see population growth was the Hudson Valley, which picked up 3,032 people or .01%. The New York City region sustained the largest population loss of -305,465 or -3.5%. The statewide population declined by -1.6%. The five-county Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) also saw a 0.1% percent population gain to 918,259.
County Performance
Among the eight counties in the Capital Region, half grew their populations over the year. Saratoga County had the state’s third largest total population annual gain (+1,670) and saw New York’s second biggest gain in annual net domestic movers. Greene County had the eighth largest gain (+609) and Schenectady and Columbia counties tied as tenth biggest gainers (+228). Rensselaer County sustained the biggest loss (-691), followed by Albany (-625), Washington (-187), and Warren (-20).
Migration
Driving the Capital Region’s growth was an annual net domestic migration of 3,176 and a net international migration of 541. The Capital Region’s domestic annual net migration was by far the largest in the state, with the North County region trailing at 239. At 883, Greene County has the seventh largest net domestic migration in the state. Columbia County ranked eight with an annual net domestic migration of 605 and Warren County ranked 12th at 315.
“We are a million-strong region and getting bigger. The Center for Economic Growth launched our CapNY talent attraction campaign in April 2021. We sensed that if we could raise awareness about all the opportunities and lifestyle in the Capital Region, then more people would want to come here and work and live,” said CEG President and CEO Mark Eagan. “We were onto something, and these Census Bureau population estimates show that. The GoCapNY.com website is attracting much traffic, especially from the New York City and Boston areas, and we will be launching new initiatives to engage and connect with interns this summer.”
About CapNY
CEG launched a talent attraction campaign in April 2021 using the CapNY brand. The talent campaign works collaboratively across target industry sectors and organizations to attract and retain talented, diverse people who want to live in New York’s Capital Region because of its lifestyle and opportunity. The CapNY website – GoCapNY.com – and its associated social media channels are key elements of CEG’s talent campaign, which markets New York’s eight-county, million-resident Capital Region as a destination of choice, specifically highlighting its quality of place. To achieve these objectives, CEG is also targeting out of market social media placements, piloting outreach to universities and colleges to engage students and local companies to engage interns, as well as connecting regional companies and HR professionals to tools for recruitment.
For more information on the CEG, visit www.ceg.org.