In that first pandemic year, New York City saw more outbound migration than any other metro area in the US, with at least 160,000 households fleeing between March 2020 and February 2021, according to the data provided by Melissa, which is sourced from US Postal Service change-of-address records. The borough of Manhattan lost people at the highest rates during that period. Many of those Manhattan households found new homes in nearby suburban locales like Rockland County, Suffolk County and Westchester County.
Some also moved farther afield-at least temporarily-to destinations like Miami and Los Angeles in search of more space for work-from-home setups and out-of-school kids. But as suburban housing prices spiked and businesses reopened, the data shared by Melissa show that in the second year of the pandemic, migration out of Manhattan slowed down, and migration into the borough increased.
Experts warn that based on the current status of New York City’s recovery, some of the bruises to the population inflicted by Covid will likely endure. Only 36.6% of office workers in the New York metro area were back to working in person in the week ending June 1, according to the building security company Kastle Systems. That means that regardless of how many people live in the city, the daytime population of commuters will be way down, affecting the city’s economy.
For now, current data suggest a more encouraging migration pattern for the city. Of the five New York City boroughs, all but Staten Island and the Bronx have gained new residents compared to the first year of the pandemic. Manhattan gained the most. Meanwhile, almost all suburban counties that gained movers during the first year of the pandemic lost some in the second. You can read more here.
Our city has experienced a lot of hardship but it is definitely back. We love living and raising our kids in the city. The convenience and vibrancy is unmatched. We are optimistic that we will have a healthy fall market.