More people left New York than any other state in 2020, and it could cost them a seat in the House of Representatives, the New York Post reports.
The state has been losing population since 2016, but the most recent fall was even higher than previous figures, according to the Post, as 126,355 left between July 2019 and July 2020. The figure represents 0.65% of the state's population.
States with the next biggest declines, based on 2020 Census estimates are: Illinois at 0.63%, Hawaii at 0.61% and West Virginia at 0.58%.
The Census figures are used every 10 years to reapportion the 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, based on population. William Frey, chief demographer for the Brookings Institution, told The New York Times that if the estimates stand, New York will lose a seat, falling to 26, and will have fewer members in the House than Florida for the first time ever.
Also losing a seat would be: Alabama, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. Gaining seats would be: Florida, at 29 seats, putting it in third place behind California and Texas.
Texas would gain three seats, and Arizona, Colorado, Oregon, North Carolina and Montana would each gain one.