Counties with the most born-and-bred residents in New York
The combination of inflation and increased work-from-home opportunities brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic has shifted migration patterns across the United States, the effects of which are still being felt in 2024, according to the latest Census Bureau data.
In the first year of the pandemic, migration out of densely populated, expensive cities like New York and San Francisco was especially notable. Many moved to Sun Belt states where the weather is warmer and the cost of living significantly lower.
But by the second year of the pandemic, it became clear that not everyone who was moving wanted to go far. A 2022 analysis of movement out of crowded cities from Stateline showed that many people leaving city centers moved to nearby suburbs in the same state. In Texas, for example, moves out of Houston rose 62% in the first month of the pandemic; meanwhile, the western suburb of Katy saw more new residents move in than any other part of the country.
According to the latest data from the Census Bureau, released in September 2023, 53.5% of people who moved in 2022 did so within the same county and an additional 24.3% remained in state, meaning more than three-quarters of movers stuck close to home.
Many young people in particular are remaining in the state, town, or even house that they grew up in. Before the pandemic, the number of younger adults living with their parents was on the rise and those patterns have continued. A late 2023 survey released by Lending Tree found that 57% of millennials and Gen Zers live in their hometowns.
Many people choose not to leave the state they were raised in for reasons ranging from wanting to be close to family, to not having the resources to leave, to sticking with a lower cost of living.
In order to determine where people stay put in your home state, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the most born-and-bred residents in New York using data from the Census Bureau. Counties are ranked by the highest percentage of residents who were born in the state according to the latest data, which is 2022 five-year estimates. The percentage of residents who were born in another state, a U.S. territory, and another country is also included.
Read on to find out where the most loyal New York residents live.
#50. Nassau County
- Population: 1,389,160
- Born in New York: 972,761 (70.0% of population)
- Born in a different state: 76,950 (5.5% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 22,918 (1.6% of population)
- Born in another country: 316,531 (22.8% of population)
#49. Dutchess County
- Population: 296,467
- Born in New York: 207,733 (70.1% of population)
- Born in a different state: 50,643 (17.1% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 5,075 (1.7% of population)
- Born in another country: 33,016 (11.1% of population)
#48. Columbia County
- Population: 61,469
- Born in New York: 43,445 (70.7% of population)
- Born in a different state: 13,198 (21.5% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 721 (1.2% of population)
- Born in another country: 4,105 (6.7% of population)
#47. Sullivan County
- Population: 78,725
- Born in New York: 55,683 (70.7% of population)
- Born in a different state: 12,449 (15.8% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 2,317 (2.9% of population)
- Born in another country: 8,276 (10.5% of population)
#46. Putnam County
- Population: 97,942
- Born in New York: 70,423 (71.9% of population)
- Born in a different state: 12,477 (12.7% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 1,227 (1.3% of population)
- Born in another country: 13,815 (14.1% of population)
#45. Albany County
- Population: 315,041
- Born in New York: 230,226 (73.1% of population)
- Born in a different state: 45,855 (14.6% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 2,999 (1.0% of population)
- Born in another country: 35,961 (11.4% of population)
#44. Ulster County
- Population: 182,153
- Born in New York: 133,507 (73.3% of population)
- Born in a different state: 31,988 (17.6% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 2,515 (1.4% of population)
- Born in another country: 14,143 (7.8% of population)
#43. Monroe County
- Population: 756,406
- Born in New York: 555,645 (73.5% of population)
- Born in a different state: 113,717 (15.0% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 24,668 (3.3% of population)
- Born in another country: 62,376 (8.2% of population)
#42. Schenectady County
- Population: 159,447
- Born in New York: 119,184 (74.7% of population)
- Born in a different state: 21,721 (13.6% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 2,508 (1.6% of population)
- Born in another country: 16,034 (10.1% of population)
#41. Saratoga County
- Population: 236,328
- Born in New York: 176,836 (74.8% of population)
- Born in a different state: 44,269 (18.7% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 2,104 (0.9% of population)
- Born in another country: 13,119 (5.6% of population)
#40. Chautauqua County
- Population: 127,440
- Born in New York: 95,413 (74.9% of population)
- Born in a different state: 25,673 (20.1% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 3,258 (2.6% of population)
- Born in another country: 3,096 (2.4% of population)
#39. Suffolk County
- Population: 1,524,486
- Born in New York: 1,146,937 (75.2% of population)
- Born in a different state: 107,692 (7.1% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 26,302 (1.7% of population)
- Born in another country: 243,555 (16.0% of population)
#38. Broome County
- Population: 198,365
- Born in New York: 149,667 (75.5% of population)
- Born in a different state: 32,216 (16.2% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 1,398 (0.7% of population)
- Born in another country: 15,084 (7.6% of population)
#37. Washington County
- Population: 61,310
- Born in New York: 46,428 (75.7% of population)
- Born in a different state: 12,663 (20.7% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 477 (0.8% of population)
- Born in another country: 1,742 (2.8% of population)
#36. Onondaga County
- Population: 472,637
- Born in New York: 358,006 (75.7% of population)
- Born in a different state: 70,795 (15.0% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 6,482 (1.4% of population)
- Born in another country: 37,354 (7.9% of population)
#35. Chemung County
- Population: 83,584
- Born in New York: 63,705 (76.2% of population)
- Born in a different state: 16,269 (19.5% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 690 (0.8% of population)
- Born in another country: 2,920 (3.5% of population)
#34. Hamilton County
- Population: 5,090
- Born in New York: 3,888 (76.4% of population)
- Born in a different state: 1,083 (21.3% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 32 (0.6% of population)
- Born in another country: 87 (1.7% of population)
#33. Rensselaer County
- Population: 160,943
- Born in New York: 123,611 (76.8% of population)
- Born in a different state: 26,093 (16.2% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 2,039 (1.3% of population)
- Born in another country: 9,200 (5.7% of population)
#32. Clinton County
- Population: 79,839
- Born in New York: 61,356 (76.8% of population)
- Born in a different state: 13,743 (17.2% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 855 (1.1% of population)
- Born in another country: 3,885 (4.9% of population)
#31. Franklin County
- Population: 47,459
- Born in New York: 36,696 (77.3% of population)
- Born in a different state: 7,755 (16.3% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 1,160 (2.4% of population)
- Born in another country: 1,848 (3.9% of population)
#30. Otsego County
- Population: 59,678
- Born in New York: 46,168 (77.4% of population)
- Born in a different state: 10,771 (18.0% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 450 (0.8% of population)
- Born in another country: 2,289 (3.8% of population)
#29. Warren County
- Population: 65,684
- Born in New York: 50,933 (77.5% of population)
- Born in a different state: 11,975 (18.2% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 494 (0.8% of population)
- Born in another country: 2,282 (3.5% of population)
#28. Schuyler County
- Population: 17,855
- Born in New York: 13,864 (77.6% of population)
- Born in a different state: 3,602 (20.2% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 63 (0.4% of population)
- Born in another country: 326 (1.8% of population)
#27. Oneida County
- Population: 231,055
- Born in New York: 182,296 (78.9% of population)
- Born in a different state: 25,435 (11.0% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 3,201 (1.4% of population)
- Born in another country: 20,123 (8.7% of population)
#26. Delaware County
- Population: 44,637
- Born in New York: 35,285 (79.0% of population)
- Born in a different state: 7,195 (16.1% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 310 (0.7% of population)
- Born in another country: 1,847 (4.1% of population)
#25. Ontario County
- Population: 112,288
- Born in New York: 89,086 (79.3% of population)
- Born in a different state: 16,901 (15.1% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 1,888 (1.7% of population)
- Born in another country: 4,413 (3.9% of population)
#24. Greene County
- Population: 48,067
- Born in New York: 38,255 (79.6% of population)
- Born in a different state: 6,518 (13.6% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 612 (1.3% of population)
- Born in another country: 2,682 (5.6% of population)
#23. Seneca County
- Population: 33,651
- Born in New York: 27,000 (80.2% of population)
- Born in a different state: 5,444 (16.2% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 412 (1.2% of population)
- Born in another country: 795 (2.4% of population)
#22. Steuben County
- Population: 93,584
- Born in New York: 75,104 (80.3% of population)
- Born in a different state: 14,939 (16.0% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 466 (0.5% of population)
- Born in another country: 3,075 (3.3% of population)
#21. Montgomery County
- Population: 49,624
- Born in New York: 40,025 (80.7% of population)
- Born in a different state: 6,335 (12.8% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 1,717 (3.5% of population)
- Born in another country: 1,547 (3.1% of population)
#20. Erie County
- Population: 951,232
- Born in New York: 768,286 (80.8% of population)
- Born in a different state: 95,340 (10.0% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 17,557 (1.8% of population)
- Born in another country: 70,049 (7.4% of population)
#19. St. Lawrence County
- Population: 108,670
- Born in New York: 88,127 (81.1% of population)
- Born in a different state: 15,338 (14.1% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 1,247 (1.1% of population)
- Born in another country: 3,958 (3.6% of population)
#18. Yates County
- Population: 24,713
- Born in New York: 20,070 (81.2% of population)
- Born in a different state: 4,124 (16.7% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 129 (0.5% of population)
- Born in another country: 390 (1.6% of population)
#17. Madison County
- Population: 68,020
- Born in New York: 55,405 (81.5% of population)
- Born in a different state: 10,168 (14.9% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 496 (0.7% of population)
- Born in another country: 1,951 (2.9% of population)
#16. Allegany County
- Population: 47,222
- Born in New York: 38,733 (82.0% of population)
- Born in a different state: 7,243 (15.3% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 425 (0.9% of population)
- Born in another country: 821 (1.7% of population)
#15. Cattaraugus County
- Population: 77,000
- Born in New York: 63,427 (82.4% of population)
- Born in a different state: 12,001 (15.6% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 366 (0.5% of population)
- Born in another country: 1,206 (1.6% of population)
#14. Chenango County
- Population: 47,096
- Born in New York: 39,000 (82.8% of population)
- Born in a different state: 6,857 (14.6% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 187 (0.4% of population)
- Born in another country: 1,052 (2.2% of population)
#13. Schoharie County
- Population: 29,970
- Born in New York: 24,862 (83.0% of population)
- Born in a different state: 4,024 (13.4% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 157 (0.5% of population)
- Born in another country: 927 (3.1% of population)
#12. Livingston County
- Population: 61,980
- Born in New York: 52,165 (84.2% of population)
- Born in a different state: 7,416 (12.0% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 525 (0.8% of population)
- Born in another country: 1,874 (3.0% of population)
#11. Orleans County
- Population: 40,148
- Born in New York: 33,809 (84.2% of population)
- Born in a different state: 4,670 (11.6% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 499 (1.2% of population)
- Born in another country: 1,170 (2.9% of population)
#10. Niagara County
- Population: 212,230
- Born in New York: 178,757 (84.2% of population)
- Born in a different state: 22,562 (10.6% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 2,537 (1.2% of population)
- Born in another country: 8,374 (3.9% of population)
#9. Cortland County
- Population: 46,755
- Born in New York: 39,541 (84.6% of population)
- Born in a different state: 5,745 (12.3% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 328 (0.7% of population)
- Born in another country: 1,141 (2.4% of population)
#8. Wayne County
- Population: 91,324
- Born in New York: 77,517 (84.9% of population)
- Born in a different state: 10,311 (11.3% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 1,092 (1.2% of population)
- Born in another country: 2,404 (2.6% of population)
#7. Herkimer County
- Population: 60,293
- Born in New York: 51,602 (85.6% of population)
- Born in a different state: 6,764 (11.2% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 395 (0.7% of population)
- Born in another country: 1,532 (2.5% of population)
#6. Oswego County
- Population: 118,037
- Born in New York: 101,446 (85.9% of population)
- Born in a different state: 13,437 (11.4% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 724 (0.6% of population)
- Born in another country: 2,430 (2.1% of population)
#5. Cayuga County
- Population: 76,171
- Born in New York: 65,768 (86.3% of population)
- Born in a different state: 8,203 (10.8% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 425 (0.6% of population)
- Born in another country: 1,775 (2.3% of population)
#4. Lewis County
- Population: 26,690
- Born in New York: 23,146 (86.7% of population)
- Born in a different state: 3,136 (11.7% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 113 (0.4% of population)
- Born in another country: 295 (1.1% of population)
#3. Fulton County
- Population: 53,280
- Born in New York: 46,577 (87.4% of population)
- Born in a different state: 5,150 (9.7% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 472 (0.9% of population)
- Born in another country: 1,081 (2.0% of population)
#2. Genesee County
- Population: 58,204
- Born in New York: 51,304 (88.1% of population)
- Born in a different state: 4,960 (8.5% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 423 (0.7% of population)
- Born in another country: 1,517 (2.6% of population)
#1. Wyoming County
- Population: 40,338
- Born in New York: 35,913 (89.0% of population)
- Born in a different state: 3,230 (8.0% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 312 (0.8% of population)
- Born in another country: 883 (2.2% of population)
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 49 states.
