More pandemic population gains for local communities

CAPITAL REGION, N.Y. » Capital Region communities continued to attract new residents during the pandemic in 2021, with eight ranking among New York’s top 20 fastest-growing towns. Greene County communities made noteworthy gains, accounting for six of those top 20 fastest-growing towns, according to a Center for Economic Growth analysis of new U.S. Census Bureau estimates.

“When every single town in several of our counties are experiencing population growth, I think we can say the cat’s out of the bag: people across the country, and especially in New York City and Boston, are recognizing the Capital Region is truly a place that is CAPable of aNYthing. And when they move here, our new CapNY Connectors will help them find the unique places and people that will quickly make them feel at home,” said CEG CEO and President Mark Eagan.

Between July 1, 2020, and July 1, 2021, 60 Capital Region towns grew their population. As did 14 villages and four cities, including Saratoga Springs (+134), Schenectady (+111), Hudson (+9) and Rensselaer (+5). In 2021, the eight-county Capital Region was one of only two New York State economic development regions to experience population growth. Its estimated population as of July 1, 2021 was 1,106,274.

Saratoga and Greene County communities made the most impressive population gains in the eight-county region. Over the year, Saratoga Springs had the sixth largest population gain for a city in New York, Moreau had the fourth largest for a town and Catskill had the fifteenth largest for a village.

Below are city, town and village population highlights for the eight counties:

- All of Columbia and Greene counties’ 32 towns and nine villages experienced population growth.

- Four of Albany County’s 10 towns made population gains, led by Guilderland (+163) and Colonie (+52).

- Each one of Schenectady County’s five towns saw population gains, led by Niskayuna (+78).

- Only two of Saratoga County’s 19 towns experienced no or negative population growth: Day (0) and Milton (-3).

- Queensbury was Warren County’s only town to gain population (+90), though the other 10 had losses of five or fewer.

- Each of Washington County’s 17 towns experienced population declines, ranging from one to 39.

- The City of Albany had the region’s largest population loss (-516), followed by the City of Troy (-290).

- East Greenbush had the region’s largest population loss for a town (-109) and Colonie had the largest loss for a village (-51).