Fastest growing towns in Upstate NY (New York, Buffalo: real estate, assessor, second mortgage)

[JiminCT]

Rochester, Utica, Buffalo, Binghamton, and Syracuse are all doing the slow bleed. Once the retired boomers start dying, you'll really notice it.

You'll eventually see it in other rust belt areas west of there too. Cleveland, Toledo, Dayton, Detroit, Akron, Youngstown, Erie, Pittsburgh...

[garmin239]

A few of those cities you listed to include Rochester and Pittsburgh have already started to turn the areas around with job growth.

[I'minformed2]

even buffalo has seen job growth lately...and cleveland. I'm pretty sure the Tri-State area should be more concerned about keeping its middle class residents....people are getting FORCED out of that area in droves because it's so ridiculously overpriced...pretty soon it will just be the very rich and very poor in that region.

[JiminCT]

New industries in the rust belt arent slowing the overall brain drain. People are still talking about cities like Pittsburgh and Cleveland "coming back" with new industries. The medical end is just a drop in the bucket. Like Buffalo...a few new industries are not stopping the exodus. Why did Ted's put a hot dog stand in Phoenix?;p


As far as the tri state area...its getting pricey, but the NYC area economy humms along and is diverse and incredibly resilient. There will always be a demand for housing in the tri-state area. It's always been pricier to live down there..and many people simply hand down their houses to the younger generation. Lots of people do that. Additionally, people WANT to live here...unlike some places on the I-90 NY corridor (the weather up there is a MAJOR issue with people). I love upstate NY (I have a camp north of Watertown)...but the economic realities dont bode well long term. New industries can go south, without all the regulation, right-to-work-states, better weather, and less hassle, and its not freezing with a slate gray sky all winter. NYC is a great big hassle IMHO...but its a major world city. Upstate NY is going the way of Youngstown. But you'll still have Wegmans.

[garmin239]

New industries have helped with the "brain drain".
Take Pittsburgh for example, a place that started its decline a few decades ago. It had large population losses in the 70s and 80s. They brought in new industries and the population loss has slowed down severely.

[JiminCT]

True..Pittsburgh MAJOR losses have slowed from the steel shakeout (Charles Dickens called Pittsburgh "hell with the lid off"). But ask any Yinzer and he'll tell you its the same pattern. The losses have slowed, but people are still leaving. A lot of the Pittsburgh exodus is white flight. You see this in a lot of the rust belt cities..and actually a lot of the cities in my neck of the woods in New England. Much of the IN migration to the rust belt cities is new immigrant populations. Utica..for example has a huge influx of Bosnians. Buffalo and Detroit have big Arab and Indian populations. In 30 years many of the cities in the rust belt and upstae NY are going to look very different.

[AJNEOA]

I lived in Rochester, NY for 28 years and just moved south. I certainly wouldn't want to put my hometown down, or make those that love it feel bad, but young people are leaving quite frequently. I needed to get out because I found myself getting very negative about where I lived. Most of my friends and younger family members (cousins, brother, etc..) have moved from the area because of weather and economy. Either way, I wish everyone there (that loves it or that doesn't) the best of luck in getting their cities and neighborhoods back on track. I say this because regardless of the reason or what the census numbers show, I think that it's the same old discussion that I see in these forums over and over again: Some people love living there and are excited about the growth, and others are trying to give those that love it the wake-up call they are already aware of.

I think the pro rust-belts re-propose stats over and over again with a positive attitude and then a anti rust-belt comes in and tries to throw a reality check in. I'd like to see some more discussions about more tangible aspects of these cities. For example, I think that discussions on why populations are coming or going is interesting. These housing numbers are a nice change of pace. However, why is new housing being built in different towns/cities? Is it because of white flight? If the population is stagnant and new housing is being built, what's happening to the older housing? Sorry to hijack the discussion, but I've read forum postings for the past six months, and I just had to say something about this.

[Soxfan64]

As I understand it the town of Manlius has placed a moritorium on new building for the time being. They are concerned about the amount of greenspace in the community and the fact that land developers are snapping up all the open space to fill with McMansions!

[averagenyjoe]

Originally Posted by i'minformed

even buffalo has seen job growth lately...and cleveland. I'm pretty sure the Tri-State area should be more concerned about keeping its middle class residents....people are getting FORCED out of that area in droves because it's so ridiculously overpriced...pretty soon it will just be the very rich and very poor in that region.

I understand the FORCED out because of overpriced housing statement. It is undeniably a fact. As yet, I cannot own a home since I've been back North and I am begining to lose hope. I am predicting in about 2-3 years I will be in a place of "possibly" affording current prices but by then they will be ahead of me again. "Why?" are prices soaring with no end in sight? It is not isolated, it is around cities and in small towns everywhere in the North and there doesnt seem to be any or enough industry to support it. Yes, there are rich people paying the price but are rich people flooding into "everywhere"? The whole supply & demand thing is out of kilter here.

[JiminCT]

"If the population is stagnant and new housing is being built, what's happening to the older housing? Sorry to hijack the discussion, but I've read forum postings for the past six months, and I just had to say something about this."

Go to South Salina Street or East Genesee Street in Syracuse. Oneida Street in Utica. Its a slow rot. The upstate cities are emptying out..the suburbs have grown and spread out...but at the cost of the inner cities that are gradually being abandoned. They may be business centers still...but the downtowns will turn into ghost towns at night if the de-population trend continues.

Look at the population growth (or loss) of the metro areas of upstate NY. Either stagnant or loss. In all cases the "donuting effect" has taken place. The core urban cities are RAPIDLY depopulating...and the suburbs are expanding.

If you need a parallel example to what happened upstate look at Detroit after the race riots in the 60's. The Detroit burbs are SPRAWLING while the city (that was 2 million) is now about 900,000.