The Capital Region continued to grow through the pandemic, making it one of only two economic development regions in the state to see total population gains between July 1, 2020, and July 1, 2021.
Even more, the eight-county region had New York’s greatest number of annual net domestic movers during that period, according to a Center for Economic Growth analysis of new U.S. Census Bureau estimates.
CEG said Warren County ranked 12th for annual net domestic movers, the agency said.
“We are a million-strong region and getting bigger. The Center for Economic Growth launched our CapNY talent attraction campaign in April 2021,” said CEG President and CEO Mark Eagan. “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 to work and live. 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.”
CEG said that between July 1, 2020, and July 1, 2021, the eight-county region’s population grew by 1,212, or 0.1 percent, 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 percent. The statewide population declined by -1.6 percent. The five-county Albany-Schenectady-Troy metropolitan statistical area (MSA) also saw a 0.1 percent population gain to 918,259.