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LOUDONVILLE — Only 30% of New York residents say that they’re unhappy to reside in the Empire State, according to a recent poll conducted by the Siena College Research Institute.
The poll, released earlier this week, shows that most recipients gave the state high marks on healthcare, recreation and education — and low marks on affordability, crime and politics.
There are some gaps: Democrats rate life in New York high while Republicans and Black residents, in a tie, rate it 16 points lower.
“When you simultaneously consider New Yorkers’ ratings of the state on all 13 of these aspects of life, we find that New York City residents rate the state higher than do NYC suburbs, who in turn rate the state higher than do upstaters,” SCRI Director Don Levy said in a press release.
New York City residents rate the state the highest among demographics as a place to retire. Meanwhile, 30% of upstate residents, 32% of suburbanites, and 33% of women maintained otherwise in the survey.
“Large majorities of New Yorkers say the quality of life in the Empire State is excellent or good, and that they are happy that they live here,” said Levy in a statement. “But about 30% say they wish they lived elsewhere and 31% plan to leave New York when they retire.”
However, most respondents rated the state as a place where “you can live a fulfilling life. Men had the highest ranking in this category, 73%.
The poll also found that only about half of respondents had traveled to regional tourism destinations like the Finger Lakes, the beaches of Long Island and the Adirondacks.
“New York state has so much to offer and most New Yorkers have visited the sites of Manhattan but there is still room on the bucket list for many to visit major attractions including the Statue of Liberty, Niagara Falls and the state Capitol,” said Levy.
Upstate residents were more likely to visit a racetrack than New York City residents, 63% to 54%. However, fewer residents beyond the Big Apple were likely to visit professional sporting events overall than their five-borough neighbors, 69% to 76%.
This survey was conducted through 406 random phone calls between March 6 and 9. SCRI received 398 responses from adult residents.
Tyler A. McNeil can be reached at 518-395-3047 or tmcnei[email protected] Follow him on Facebook at Tyler A. McNeil, Daily Gazette or Twitter @TylerAMcNeil.
