Big bite taken out of Apple

The Big Apple has gotten smaller again.

Nearly 78,000 residents fled New York City last year, shrinking its population to 8.26 million people, according to the latest census estimates released Thursday.

Of the city’s five boroughs, only Manhattan saw a slight population uptick last year, adding close to 3,000 residents, according to the census data.

The Bronx experienced the most dramatic exodus, losing nearly 1.9% of its population in 2023, more than 25,000 residents. Brooklyn and Queens shrank by more than 28,000 and 26,000 residents, respectively.

The great escape, however, has started to slow. In 2022, more than 126,000 New Yorkers ditched the city, according to the data first reported by The New York Times.

Still, between April 2020 and July 2023, which coincided with the height of the COVID pandemic, the city experienced a mass exodus of 550,000 residents — shrinking its population by more than 6%.

Florida was one of the most common new homes for New Yorkers fleeing the big city last year. At least 58,581 New Yorkers traded in their Empire State driver licenses for Florida IDs in 2023, according to numbers from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles obtained by The Post.

“I can go to the beach any time of the year,” said a TikToker named Sherelle.

Another TikToker said she got a “beautiful place” in the Sunshine State for the same price as “practically a closet” in NYC.

New Jersey also has become a common refuge.

“It’s financially a better decision for me,” said Shayla Forbes-Luong, who moved to Jersey City last year to avoid paying New York City’s income tax, which has helped her save hundreds of dollars per month.

City officials argued the count did not fully take into account the influx of migrants, as well as people living in shelters and group homes.

Casey Berkovitz, a spokesman for the Department of City Planning, told The Post, “Our analysis indicates that the city’s population was essentially unchanged between July 2022 and 2023.”