In 1960, New York State had the highest population in the nation with about 16.8 million people. By 1970, the rapid population growth in California had positioned that state as the most populace and New York dropped to second with about 18.2 million people. The 1970's was a tumultuous decade for many urban and heavily industrialized states. New York, along with other similarly situated states, saw significant population losses during that decade. New York City's population alone dropped by more than 1 million people during the 1970's as suburban communities blossomed and there was a large migration to southern states and the West Coast.
 

New York State would not surpass its 1970 population for 30 years until the 2000 census. Through the 2010 census, New York managed to cling to its third most populous state ranking, but by the end of 2014 the Census Bureau estimated that Florida took away the number three spot from New York. While New York should retain its number four ranking for some time to come, the rate of population growth over the last 55 years as compared to the rest of the nation is a cause for concern.
 

The growth trend for New York has not improved in recent years as the state remained in the bottom five in population growth and dropped from fifth lowest growth rate to fourth lowest growth rate for the 2010 through 2015 period.
 

In addition to changing growth trends across states, a similar dynamic plays out at the county level in New York. Population trends across counties have varied significantly over the years, but most counties have experienced population loss since 2010.