In a scathing critique, House Republican Conference Chairwoman Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., blamed Governor Kathy Hochul and the "far left Democratic leadership" for the mass exodus of residents from New York. The U.S. Census Bureau recently released data showing that New York had the highest number of people leaving the state compared to any other state in the country. A staggering 101,984 individuals departed the Empire State in 2023. Following New York, California saw 75,423 residents leave, followed by Illinois with 32,826 departures, and Louisiana with 14,274. Pennsylvania witnessed 10,408 individuals leaving, while Oregon and Hawaii lost 6,021 and 4,261 residents respectively. West Virginia saw a loss of 3,964 residents.

Rep. Stefanik criticized Governor Hochul and the Albany Democrats for making New York “unlivable” and accused them of prioritizing their "extremist agenda" over the safety and prosperity of New Yorkers. She specifically mentioned the record-high crime rates and the cost of living that far exceeds the national average as driving factors behind the mass exodus. She warned that if the Democratic leadership did not change their approach, there would be no residents left to fund their "radical, socialist programs."

Fox News Digital reached out to Governor Hochul's office for comment, but there was no immediate response.

The Census Bureau's data revealed that there were a total of 249,161 individuals leaving the eight states that experienced population declines in 2023. This number is significantly lower than the 509,789 decline observed in 2022. Although many of these states have been losing population since 2020, the rate of decline has slowed down.

In contrast to the population loss in New York and other states, the report highlighted that red states, particularly Texas and Florida, experienced population growth as Americans sought to leave blue states. The growth in population is no longer concentrated in a few states, as more states are now experiencing increases. In 2023, Texas added the largest number of people, with 473,453 individuals moving to the state, followed by Florida, which gained 365,205 residents. South Carolina and Florida were the fastest-growing states in the nation, with growth rates of 1.7% and 1.6% respectively.

While New York saw a significant decline in population, it still ranked as the fourth most populous state in the nation, with over 19.5 million residents as of July 2023. The Census Bureau's data also revealed that New York City experienced an influx of more than 150,100 migrants from the southern border since the spring of 2022. New York City Mayor Eric Adams's office has been collaborating with Governor Hochul to resettle these asylum seekers across the state.

The census report also noted that the Northeast was the only region in the country to experience a decline in population over the past year. It highlighted that New Jersey was one of the 11 states to reverse its population trajectory and attract an influx of approximately 30,000 people.

Overall, the United States experienced a population gain of 1.6 million over the last year, which, while historically low, was an improvement compared to the previous two years. The return of migration to pre-pandemic levels and a decrease in deaths were cited as the main factors driving the nation's growth, according to Kristie Wilder, a demographer in the Population Division at the Census Bureau. She also mentioned that although there was a decline in births, it was offset by a nearly 9% decrease in deaths and a rebound in immigration, resulting in the largest population gain since 2018.