"many young residents" leaving Westchester County - "taxes are way too high,"

...As the Lower Hudson Valley awaits 2010 census results in the next month, it's clear that many young residents have left in search of lower taxes and a lower cost of living.
Westchester and Rockland counties, along with New York City, have the state's highest population losses due to movers....
The high number of people moving out, without being replaced, is a key reason the state will lose a representative in Congress while several southern states are expected to gain representatives....
Several Rockland residents said high taxes are a major concern that's making them consider a move."Taxes are way too high," said Peter Chavez of Valley Cottage....
Local officials are concerned about the trend, and hope to keep more residents in the state with job opportunities and judicious spending cuts."Growth requires that we become a less-expensive place to live and work," said Ned McCormack, an adviser to Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino. 

http://www.lohud.com/article/2011102210322

For the entire article:

Census: Residents leaving high-cost region 

By Tim Henderson • February 21, 2011

Seth Granville left his Lower Hudson Valley hometown in 2008 and hasn't looked back.

The price of his co-op in Hartsdale, about $250,000, bought a custom-built home in the suburbs of Austin, Texas.

"I'm never coming back," said Granville, 31, a paramedic and an Ardsley native. In fact, his mother has since moved down, and his wife, Kristen, is from Yorktown Heights.

He misses the commuter train, but not the $12,000 annual tax bill for his small apartment.

"My taxes are cheap, food is much more affordable and we've got basically all the things a big city has in a small city," Granville said.

He's not alone. As the Lower Hudson Valley awaits 2010 census results in the next month, it's clear that many young residents have left in search of lower taxes and a lower cost of living.

Westchester and Rockland counties, along with New York City, have the state's highest population losses due to movers. Putnam County lost a relatively modest 2,300 people in the past decade.

The high number of people moving out, without being replaced, is a key reason the state will lose a representative in Congress while several southern states are expected to gain representatives.

A relatively small number of New York counties have gained population from movers — including Orange, Ulster and Dutchess counties. Jess Crothers, a 26-year-old nanny, is moving from Croton-on-Hudson to Beacon in Dutchess, seeking a lower cost of living.

"We have downsized from $1,800 a month in rent to $750 and still find that Beacon has more to offer," Crothers said. "Now that some of the pressure to make money is removed from our lives, we hope to do more of the things we love. It's really a no-brainer."

Several Rockland residents said high taxes are a major concern that's making them consider a move.

"Taxes are way too high," said Peter Chavez of Valley Cottage.

Guy Nordhal of Suffern said he's happy with the value he's getting for his taxes, but worries about the future.

"The taxes are high, but I feel we are getting value," he said, citing the village police and local schools. But he said he might eventually leave under pressure as Ramapo's Orthodox Jewish community expands, and now has a majority on the East Ramapo school board.

The region's Orthodox communities, like Kiryas Joel in Orange County and New Square and Monsey in Rockland County, have consistently been among the fastest-growing areas of the state.

"The key decisionmaker for me and my family is being led by what I see happening in the East Ramapo school district," Nordhal says. "Personally, I expect that I will be moving on once my youngest child graduates high school."

Census Bureau statistics through 2009, as well as statistics from Mayflower and United Van Lines through 2010, show that the most popular destinations for local movers are in the south — North Carolina, Texas and Georgia.

"They can tell I'm from New York by my accent," Granville said. "But now my daughter (Madeleine, born in August) and my dog are both native Texans."

Local officials are concerned about the trend, and hope to keep more residents in the state with job opportunities and judicious spending cuts.

"Growth requires that we become a less-expensive place to live and work," said Ned McCormack, an adviser to Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino.

"We have taxes that are too high and a regulatory environment that makes it tough on business," he said.

Popular relocation destinations
These are some of the popular destinations for people moving out of the Lower Hudson Valley in the past decade:
Place Number of people
Ulster-Dutchess 14,800
Orange-Sullivan 10,700
Coastal North Carolina 6,200
Seneca-Chenango 3,800
Orlando, Fla.: 2,500
Atlanta 2,400
Palm Beach, Fla. 2,300
Scranton, Pa. 2,100
Charlotte, N.C. 2,000
Sarasota, Fla. 1,900
Dallas-Houston 1,400
Source: Journal News analysis of 2000-2009 American Community Survey microdata