The Capital Region again was state’s second-fastest growing region in 2018. Four Capital Region counties experienced population gains, with Saratoga County leading them at 0.5 percent, or 1,061, according to a Center for Economic Growth analysis of new U.S. Census Bureau data.
CEG said the eight-county region last year had a population of 1,084,941, up 248 from the previous year. The only region with stronger year-over-year growth was the Mid-Hudson Region at 0.1 percent.
CEG said Saratoga County was the state’s fourth fastest-growing county. Following it was Schenectady County at 0.3 percent, or 536, and Rensselaer County at 0.1 percent or 181. Greene County’s population rose by 17. Albany County experienced the region’s largest population loss at -0.2 percent or 600; and at -0.8 percent, or -492, Columbia County ranked 59th for growth rate among New York’s 62 counties.
International migration continued to drive the Capital Region’s population gains, according to the agency. Whereas the region gained 1,813 people from international migration, it lost 1,636 to domestic migration. At 759 people, Saratoga County had the state’s largest year-over-year domestic migration gain, and Greene County had the fifth highest at 82.
The Albany-Schenectady-Troy metropolitan statistical area (MSA) saw a 0.1 percent year-over-year population gain to 883,169. The five-county metro’s population ranking among MSAs nationwide dropped from 63 to 64, with the Knoxville, TN MSA moving up a slot.
The two-county Glens Falls MSA saw its population decline by 0.4 percent to 125,642, and its ranking declined from 312 to 314. The Hudson micropolitan statistical area’s population ranking dropped from 144th to 146th.
To accelerate the region’s growth, CEG said it is involved in the following activities:
• Launching the Veteran Connect Center to attract to the region transitioning service members stationed around the word and to retain the veterans already here.
• Partnering with the Upstate Alliance for the Creative Economy to ensure the region has a thriving creative economy that will not only provide more employment and freelance opportunities but also enhance efforts to attract outside talent and retain the skilled workers already here.
• Leveraging its Talent Connect program to enhance employers’ efforts to attract and retain skilled workers in the region.
• Bringing talent to the region by representing Capital Region employers at job fairs throughout the Northeast.
