Population shifts during and after the COVID-19 pandemic are changing the face of New York City. In the wake of the pandemic, the City’s populace is overall older and wealthier, with a rebounding population of international migrants and declining shares of White and Black New Yorkers. The cost of living also rose as the pandemic subsided, making the City increasingly more expensive for lower income New Yorkers, who left in greater numbers in 2022.

The number of full-time local government workers employed outside of New York City contracted by 7.9% from 2007 to 2022, largely the result of two defining events – the recession of 2007-09 and the COVID-19 pandemic. This stands in contrast to the nation as a whole, which saw a 2% increase in the number of full-time local government employees over the same 15-year period. This snapshot report highlights these findings and provides additional analysis by local government class, job function and geographic region.

This report examines PIT filings for the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021 and follows up on DiNapoli’s May 2022 report that looked at pre-pandemic taxpayer migration trends.

The Hunts Point Food Distribution Center (FDC) is the largest food distribution center in the United States. The FDC distributes approximately 4.5 billion pounds of food annually, about half of which is for New York City. Modernizing FDC is critical to hardening the food supply for 22 million people in a 50-mile radius, protecting it from climate, power or other interruptions.

The South Bronx has undergone a period of revitalization that has enabled it to thrive as a cultural hotspot within the Bronx and New York City. South Bronx residents continue to face chronic health, economic and environmental challenges, and the City is seeking to address these issues while boosting economic growth. Continued focus on community benefits and active partnership among City departments, community-based organizations, and State and federal leaders, is critical for the long-term success of the South Bronx.

Costs for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) program to provide transportation services for people with disabilities have declined in recent years, in part due to the MTA’s move to alternative transit services that provided $102.7 million in savings in 2022. Still, some measures of customer satisfaction initially deteriorated as a result of the move to “broker services” and must be monitored to ensure quality service.

Local sales tax collections in New York State increased by 2.5% in October compared to the same month in 2022.

Regional Table [.xlsx]

New York City Health + Hospitals (H+H) is the largest municipal public health system in the country and the City’s largest provider of care to Medicaid patients, mental health patients, and uninsured patients. This brief highlights the latest issues confronting H+H, including operations after the public health emergency, the asylum seeker and migrant response, funding and nurse staffing.

The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), the nation’s largest public housing authority, is also the City’s largest landlord (maintaining 7.1 percent of all rental apartments) and its greatest source of affordable housing, with 177,569 apartments in its portfolio. This brief highlights the latest issues confronting NYCHA, including declining rent collections, capital needs, maintenance issues, and more.