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Key Findings
From 1970 to 2020, the Park Towns’ population increased by +6.49%, a rate that was below New York State’s population growth of +10.75%.
The Park Towns’ population increase from 1970 to 2020 was higher than that of 1,095 counties with 17% of the U.S. population and 915 rural counties with 30% of the population of Rural America.
In 2020, the Park Towns were part of a vast American landscape of declining population. This area consisted of 1,628 counties, covered 48% of the U.S. land area, and was home to 49.8 million people.
Table 13: Change in Population in New York and U.S., 1970–2020
| Area | 1970 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York State | 18,228,027 | 20,188,009 | +10.75% |
| Rural NY Towns | 51,603 | 58,520 | +13.40% |
| Park Towns | 90,966 | 96,866 | +6.49% |
| Split Towns | 95,446 | 128,043 | +34.15% |
| United States | 201,197,406 | 328,247,510 | +63.15% |
Population growth one of the key indicators for measuring community and regional vitality. From 1970 to 2020, the overall U.S. population increased by +63.15%, from 201.2 million to over 328.2 million people. In these years, New York State experienced a modest +10.75% increase, which lagged far behind national growth. It’s important to note where population growth occurred 1970 to 2020. The 1,941 USDA Nonmetro counties, which covered 68% of the lower 48 states in the U.S. and is the geography that we use in this report as the landscape of Rural America, gained 9.2 million people in 50 years. Metropolitan areas in the U.S. grew by nearly 95 million people.
Figure 51: Comparison of changes in population from 1970 to 2020 between the Park Towns and New York State towns, cities, and boroughs
From 1970 to 2020, 37% of the towns, etc., in New York State had a lower population growth than did the Park Towns. These places were home to 9.6 million people, 48% of New York State’s population.
338 New York State towns, etc., with lower population growth from 1970 to 2020 than that of the Park Towns
565 New York State towns, etc., with higher population growth from 1970 to 2020 than that of the Park Towns
Figure 52: Population increases and decreases in New York State towns, cities, and boroughs, 2010 to 2020
From 2010 to 2020, 71% of towns, etc., in New York State lost population. These places were home to 3.8 million people, 19% of New York State's population.
641 New York State towns, etc., that lost population from 2010 to 2020
264 New York State towns, etc., that gained population from 2010 to 2020