A Majority of Weary New Yorkers Say Their Families Might be Better Off Elsewhere

By Yehudit Garmaise

When thinking about where to live right now, a majority of New Yorkers are thinking: Anywhere but here.

Fears about crime weigh most heavily on New Yorkers’ minds right now, according to a new poll: with many New Yorkers saying that they feel their families would have better futures elsewhere.

When asked to respond to the statement, “My family would have a better future if we left New York City permanently,” 59% of the respondents strongly or somewhat agreed with the statement, the New York Post reported.

A year ago, only 47% of respondents agreed with the idea that they would rather live elsewhere.

Fontas Advisors/Core Decision Analytics found that the number of New Yorkers who cited public safety as their most pressing issue was 41%, which was more than double the 19% of respondents who said that the city’s high cost of living was their biggest concern.

Crime and the high cost of living far outweighed any other concerns, such as healthcare access, police reform, and education.

“Crime is the cloud hanging over New Yorkers’ heads right now,” said Matt Lien, vice president at Core Decision Analytics. “New Yorkers are unsure of their futures here and want to see changes in their neighborhoods.

“Address crime and you will change New Yorker’s current outlook.”

“If crime and cost of living begin to decrease, I’d expect New Yorkers’ attitudes to shift quickly.”

While voters report feeling apprehensive in light of the constant barrage of violent crimes, New Yorkers who were surveyed overwhelmingly brightened when asked about Mayor Eric Adams’ plans to bring back public safety.

An astounding 95% of voters said that gun traffickers should be hit with harsher penalties, and 92% of voters support giving judges who impose bail the freedom to first assess whether defendants are dangerous to others.

When asked about the NYPD’s new anti-gun unit of uniformed police who are trained to de-escalate violent situations, while honoring suspects’ Constitutional rights: 85% of New York voters approved.