According to estimates by the US Census Bureau, more residents have escaped from New York in the past year than from any other state.
About 126,355 people made it out of the Empire State between July 2019 and July 2020, a dip of 0.65 percent, preliminary figures show.
New York has been losing locals since 2016, but the most recent decline was significantly greater than in recent years.
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It was also the state with the largest population decline in the country, followed by Illinois with a 0.63 percent decline; Hawaii at 0.61 percent and West Virginia at 0.58 percent.
Estimates are based on the 2010 census and the official results of the 2020 census will be released next year, along with a new legislative map.
The once-every-decade national headline count determines how the 435 seats in the House of Representatives are distributed among the 50 states based on recorded population changes.
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If the numbers hold up, New York could lose one seat to 26, according to an analysis by William Frey, chief demographer at the Brookings Institution, The New York Times reported.
That would leave the Empire State with fewer seats than Florida for the first time, the report said.
According to Census Bureau figures, the US population generally grew at its lowest rate in at least 120 years from 2019 to 2020. Demographers attributed the trend to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the nation.
Population growth in the US has been slow, even before the virus, due to a decline in fertility and immigration restrictions.
But Frey pointed out that the at least 322,000 American lives lost to COVID-19 since March are exacerbating the stagnant growth trend.
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“I think it’s a first glimpse of where we’re headed in terms of low population growth,” Frey told The Associated Press.
“It tells you that this has consequences for the population.”