According to federal Internal Revenue Service tax filer migration data, the top destination for those who left Chautauqua County from 2011 to 2016 is Pennsylvania. The same is true for fellow border counties Cattaraugus and Allegany counties.

Steuben and Chemung counties both saw Florida as the top destination for those leaving their counties. Florida was also the destination of choice for those leaving Erie County. As a whole, Florida was the leading destination for those who left New York during the five year period.

According to the Empire Center for New York Policy, Florida accounted for 21.9 percent of the net total (calculated as those who moved out of New York minus those who moved into New York.) Rounding out the top 10 net destinations for New Yorkers were New Jersey (13.6 percent), North Carolina (8.1 percent), Texas (7.4 percent), California (6.7 percent), Pennsylvania (6.4 percent), Connecticut (5.3 percent), Georgia (4.5 percent), South Carolina (3.4 percent) and Virginia (3.2 percent). Those 10 states collectively account for 81 percent of New York’s out-migration losses.

State Assemblyman Andy Goodell, R-Jamestown, and George Borrello, county executive, are not surprised about the out-migration numbers happening in New York state. Goodell and Borrello said it’s because of the high taxes and regulatory burden placed on businesses that is causing people and companies to leave the state.

George Borrello

“It makes it difficult for manufacturing to succeed to compete with neighboring states that have lower taxes,” Goodell said. “I support efforts to improve the economic climate by reducing unnecessary regulations, tax credits for new employees and reducing taxes on businesses and industries alike.”

Borrello said more taxes and regulation are occurring this year since the Democratic party took control over both houses of the state Legislature.

“I think when you look at the vast difference of New York City, which now has control of state government functions, and the rest of us in Upstate New York, we are impacted by the decisions of people who live in New York City,” Borrello said. “The population loss is having a greater impact on Upstate New York where it’s happening more often.”

Goodell said population is directly linked to the number of quality jobs available. He said there is some good news in the county when it comes to large manufactures like Cummins and Fieldbrook Foods where job growth is strong, and with manufactures like Athenex building a new plant outside of Dunkirk, which will employee hundreds of people.

“Improve the economic climate in the state and county and we will stabilize our population loss,” Goodell said. “Population is directly related to the economy. Our employment numbers and how much they are paid is directly related to how competitive New York is, which leads the nation in taxes and regulation. It shouldn’t be surprising that New York leads the nation in migration.”

County Planning and Economic Development personnel said the county has the same natural outflow as other areas, which includes people retiring, children going away to college and people dying, Borrello said.

“What we lack is getting people back to the state and in the county to counteract the outflow,” he said. “We obviously don’t want people to leave, but we need to also counteract the outflow we experience. To me it’s about educating people about what a beautiful place Chautauqua County is to live. It’s still an affordable place to live, we have good schools and its a good place to raise a family. We’re a diamond in the rough and it’s our duty locally to talk to people about what separates us from the concrete canyons of New York City.”

As far as the reason for why most of the people leaving Chautauqua County are moving to Pennsylvania is not an area Goodell or Borrello has analyzed in detail. However, Goodell said it could be that people who have jobs in the county can move across the border where they will pay lower property taxes.

“Pennsylvania is more competitive than New York state,” he said. “You see more job growth in Pennsylvania and the tax rate is significantly lower. You can move to Erie or Warren County and sill work in Chautauqua County, and pay less in taxes.”

Borrello agreed with Goodell about the proximity of Pennsylvania to the county for why residents choose to live across the border. He said another reason could be that a lot of what makes Chautauqua County a quality place to live, with waterways and forest, can also be found in Pennsylvania.

“You can move to Pennsylvania and save a lot on taxes and still work here. I know people who live in Erie and work in Chautauqua County. I guess it’s a choice where you may pay less in taxes and still be close to family and friends,” he said. “I have tried to explain to state leaders the special challenge in Chautauqua County and the Southern Tier where people can setup shop across the border and save money just with something like workers compensation insurance. It’s a special challenge to live on the border, that is why it’s important for the (Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency) to offer incentives to level the playing field. There certainly is a disparity with taxes and regulations between New York and Pennsylvania.”

The IRS population data is useful because the recent census data only gives estimates of how much population the county lost over the past year. The annual Census data include components of population change–births, deaths, foreign immigration and movement between counties–but do not offer more detail on population flows. Migration trends can be gleaned from the U.S. Census Bureau’s periodic American Community Survey, but the data are derived from a statistical sample. According to the Empire Center, that makes the most reliable and current source of inter- and intra-state migration data tax return filings with the IRS.

John Whittaker contributed to this story.