Upstate’s economic growth significantly trailed the rest of the United States in 2002, as revealed by the recently published figures from the Bureau of Economic Analysis . These figures detail the change in per capita income across 384 metro areas nationwide.
The performance of most of Upstate’s major metro regions should be an embarrassment for New York State and local officials. Albany’s per capita income remained stagnant at 0.0%, while Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse all experienced dismal results. Buffalo and Rochester’s per capita income both contracted by 0.8%, and Syracuse declined by 0.9%. Binghamton saw a catastrophic decline of 2.5% in 2022.
Upstate’s cities were firmly entrenched at the bottom of the rankings, occupying the 283rd (Albany), 324th (Buffalo), 327th (Rochester), 329th (Syracuse), and 372nd (Binghamton) positions out of the 384 major metro areas.
The data speaks volumes, dispelling any notion that Upstate is undergoing a renaissance due to isolated construction projects and temporary tax relief through massive tax incentives. While we love Upstate, we must be honest with ourselves and acknowledge these challenging realities.
Yet, is this not old news? We’ve seen similar figures for decades. For example, after a quick search I came across a 2004 Brookings report titled “Losing Ground: Income and Poverty in Upstate New York, 1980-2000” which found that personal income in Upstate grew at only half the national rate in the 1990s, lagging behind the country by 11% by 2000.
Apparently, it has become such a commonplace assumption that Upstate will inevitably lag behind in economic growth that no major Upstate media outlet has deemed fit to cover this story as of yet. What should be a headline-grabbing story of New York State’s failure to achieve any meaningful economic growth is simply chalked up as business as usual.
However, reiterating a crucial point, it is precisely this complacency and acceptance of failure which is one of the largest psychological hurdles we must clear in order to garner broader support for an independent Upstate. It is inarguable that New York State has utterly failed to produce economic growth in Upstate. When we unite in demanding and expecting excellence from our government that manifests itself through objective and measurable data, the inadequacy of the current status quo becomes evident.
Only an entirely new political framework can disrupt the longstanding cycle of 50 years of continuous failure. Though rather than dwell on New York State’s failures, which undoubtedly should be emphasized to rally support, what truly excites me is envisioning what comes next. Upstate Independence is crafting a future for Upstate beyond the economic, moral, and social bankruptcy of New York State. We aim to establish our own political system, where we can harness and apply our talents, chart our own path, and pursue a future far greater than what can be achieved within the constraining confines of New York State.
