Why 'Nobody' Lives In Upstate New York

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New York State is big in both size and population. But most of its population is within the New York City metro area, leaving the vast majority of the state feeling pretty empty. So why do so many people live in New York City rather than any of the other major cities within the state such as Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, or Albany?

[bleachcraft]

As someone who lives in upstate, don't feel bad if you forget there's more to our state than the city, our state government does too

[MidnightsDeluxe]

7.5 million people is not “nobody” or “empty”

[cobbgst]

We visited upstate New York last summer. I was floored by the unmatched beauty and surprised to learn there are no national parks there. I think the entire state should be designated a national park because it is incredibly beautiful. It is a very special place.

[robbsclassics]

I love our waterfalls in NY. The Finger Lakes are now a respected wine region and Taughannock Falls has been in so much media. There's a wonder of the natural world an hour from me. People know "15 miles on the Erie Canal" where I grew up. The Adirondacks are not only forever wild, but have a chair design named after them. Apples are named after different NY places and things. Car guys know Rochester carborators, and helical gears were invented in Rochester which are in every car. NY even made the iconic steam engines still in operation. There's so much history in my state.

[rosemulet]

Upstate isn’t “empty” it’s just that NYC is SO populated

[minstrel]

Born and raised and still live in Rochester, I have never felt that upstate NY is "empty."

[foggy]

I love my home in the Adirondacks, but I would move immediately if suddenly upstate wasnt "empty"

[kodemasterx]

After 18 years in NYC, I had it, COVID was the catalyst that made me move outside of that stressful concrete jungle, nothing better than owning a house upstate NY in a beautiful suburb and being part of a community. Where I now live, there's little to no traffic, the school districts are amazing, and best of all, my children don't get to see all the nonsense that is going down in NYC.

[stevem]

On behalf of the empty part of the state we like it that way. We invite the crowds in NYC to stay where they are.

[thano]

As somebody who lives in Buffalo and has my entire life, I think the single biggest reason why people don't relocate to upstate New York is the weather. The three largest cities outside of NYC (Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse) all get an unfathomable amount of snow that dominates the months of December - March. If you're looking to relocate, why would you intentionally move to an area where you have to wake up an hour early every single day in the winter to shovel a significant amount of snow out of your driveway before you can leave for work? Of course, if you have lived here awhile you really do just get accustomed to it, but if I was relocating from an area that doesn't get much snow, this would be a huge deal breaker to me personally.

For the first time in 70 years, Buffalo's population increased which honestly isn't too surprising. The city has a lot to offer, is relatively safe, and is extremely affordable. My first house I bought in 2020 was 1600 sq ft., in move-in ready condition, and cost less than 150K. The small village of Gowanda has houses even larger and cheaper than this. So when much of the country is facing an affordability crisis, Buffalo and WNY in particular seem to be relatively unphased.

if you can brave the snow and cold in the winter, you'll be awarded with some of the most beautiful summer weather in the country. It rarely gets too warm (proximity to the lake), rarely gets severe weather, and there are always a plethora of sunny days to enjoy. In the fall we have amazing foliage, and many local farms that boast the regions many locally grown apples and grapes. Not to mention regular farmers markets selling fresh beans, peas, and corn as the majority of this region is still agricultural (albeit on a smaller scale than the midwest).

I personally would have probably moved to a warmer climate if my family lived elsewhere, but the older I get the more I appreciate the area. And honestly, I would rather have a blizzard than a hurricane or tornado.

[ChaseRiverBand]

As someone who has visited NYC, Western NY (Buffalo, Angelica), and Upstate NY (Saranac Lakes region, Lake Placid) on numerous occasions, I loved this video! Each of these areas has its own unique and excellent reasons to spend time there. Thanks for the segment on the St. Lawrence River too! That was great. And until I made the drive from NYC to Montreal, I never realized it was only a 6 hour drive directly north. I always thought Montreal was farther away.

[fozzymalik]

Thank you for sharing this informative video! Loved the historical aspect involving population distribution over the centuries.

[KateEileen]

I married a western New Yorker, but we lived in another state for many years, just coming back a couple times a year to visit family. Every time I said we were “going to NY, ” everyone assumed I meant NYC, so I learned to say “western NY” and mostly got blank looks. We moved to the Finger Lakes region several years ago and it is absolutely gorgeous! All of “upstate” N.Y. is, with beautiful trees, mountains, valleys, an abundance of waterfalls, rivers, and lakes. I’ve lived in a lot of states, and this is truly the most beautiful, in spite of cold winters!

[ChrisMcKee]

“Nobody” being 7.5 million people would be the 13th largest state in terms of population still.

[teer]

Syracuse resident here, it’s not really empty, theres still 7.5 million of us

[tonychavez]

I just came from Amsterdam NY area. That whole area along the Mohawk River is beyond scenic 👌🏼

[ferguspetersmyth]

I'm an Irishman, and I visited Upstate New York last summer. Lake George is simply stunning. Cant wait to go back some day

[roconnor]

As a Brit, I have travelled the length and breadth of New York State, and it is absolutely beautiful.

[YamillonarioPaulino-jfqi]

Glad i revisited the vid geoff as ill be checking out the podcast

[Yort]

I think it's extremely important to note that the massive jump in population from 1890 to 1900 is largely due to the absorption of Queens, Brooklyn and Staten island into the city.