ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — More New Yorkers are putting on their vagabond shoes, longing to stray — away from New York.
A report by the Empire Center for New York State Policy is spreading the news that New Yorkers, led by city residents, represent the biggest out-of-state migration in the country.
From 2000 to 2008, 1.5 million New Yorkers, or about 8 percent of the population, have moved out. Florida was the top destination, followed by New Jersey.
And the new New Yorkers, led by immigrants, are making about 13 percent less money per year than those who left.
The center, part of the conservative Manhattan Institute, blames the trend on the state's high cost of living and high taxes.
Census and IRS records show the migration peaked in 2005 when 250,000 people left.
©2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
