More Pandemic Population Gains for Capital Region Cities, Towns and Villages

A cat statue on Main Street in the Village of Catskill.

CEG launches CapNY Connectors to help residents and newcomers feel at home in the Capital Region

• All towns in Columbia, Greene & Schenectady counties grow
• All villages in Columbia and Greene counties grow
• 8 top 20 NYS fastest-growing towns in region (6 in Greene County)
• 5 top 20 NYS fastest-growing villages in region (4 in Greene County)
• 3 top 10 NYS fastest-growing cities in region (Saratoga Springs, Schenectady, Hudson)

ALBANY, NEW YORK – 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.

City/Town/Village Overview

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.

Top Performers

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 15^th largest for a village. Below is a roundup of the region’s fastest growers and biggest gainers:

• Biggest Gainers
  • City: Saratoga Springs (+134)
  • Town: Moreau (+403)
  • Village: Catskill (+40)
• Fastest-Growing
  • City: Saratoga Springs (+0.5%)
  • Town: Ballston (+2.6%)
  • Village: Round Lake (3.1%)

Performance by county

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).

CapNY Connectors

In April 2021, CEG launched a talent attraction campaign using the CapNY brand, along with a website – GoCapNY.com – and its associated social media channels. To help attract even more young professionals to the Capital Region, CEG today launched a CapNY Connectors initiative. The Connectors are local residents who love living in the Capital Region and who have volunteered to share that love to help connect prospective new residents to our community. They work in diverse industries, pursue unique interests, and come from all walks of life. The CapNY Connectors are available to answer questions and discuss first-hand experience of what it’s like to work and live in CapNY.

Young professionals can find a connector who shares their interests and ambitions by checking out the profiles on the GoCapNY website. Website visitors who are unsure of whom they should connect with, can fill out the form to provide some additional details, and the CapNY networking team will make a connection for them.

Visit CapNY Connectors at https://gocapny.com/capny-connectors.

About CEG

The Center for Economic Growth (CEG) is dedicated to driving economic growth in New York’s eight-county, 1.1-million-person Capital Region. As the nonprofit regional economic development organization, we do this by attracting investment and talent; growing manufacturing and workforce capabilities, leveraging industry clusters, and developing the entrepreneurial ecosystem. We serve as a catalyst and work with partners and stakeholders to prepare the region to compete and move high-impact strategies and projects forward. An affiliate of the Capital Region Chamber, CEG is supported by investors in business, government, education, and the nonprofit sectors who are committed to sustainable economic growth and shared prosperity. For more information on CEG, visit www.ceg.org.

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