Marist Poll: 1 in 3 NYers Want to Leave Due to High Costs

One in three New York residents say they plan to leave the Empire State within the next five years, with soaring living expenses topping the list of reasons, according to a new Marist Poll.

While 66% of residents say they intend to stay, 33% expect to move out of New York.

Among those planning to leave, 40% cited the cost of living as their primary reason. Another 21% pointed to quality of life, 15% blamed taxes, and 10% cited politics.

The findings come as frustration over affordability continues to mount statewide.

More than eight in 10 New Yorkers (86%) say the cost of living for the average family is either “not very affordable” or “not affordable at all,” up from 82% last year

 Just 14% believe living in New York is affordable, down from 18% previously.

A majority of residents (51%) also say the state’s quality of life is getting worse.

The poll lands amid renewed debate over taxes and spending in New York City.

 Mayor Zohran Mamdani has proposed a 9.5% property tax increase as a potential revenue source for his $127 billion budget, a plan critics warn could lead to higher rents and further strain homeowners.

Mamdani has described the proposal as a “last resort” if Albany and Gov. Kathy Hochul reject his push to raise income taxes on residents earning $1 million or more.

Hochul holds a 46% approval rating — her strongest since October 2021 — but 56% of registered voters say the state is headed in the wrong direction, the New York Post reports.

Hochul leads Republican challenger Bruce Blakeman 50% to 33% ahead of November’s gubernatorial election.

Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s standing has weakened sharply in his home state. His support has fallen 34 points over the past year to 27%, with half of voters in his own party viewing him negatively.

Methodology

The Marist Poll surveyed 1,552 New York adults from Feb. 16–19, 2026, using phone interviews, text and online responses. Results for all adults carry a margin of error of ±3.2 percentage points. Among 1,442 registered voters surveyed, the margin of error is ±3.3 percentage points.