Editor’s Note: Earlier this month, the Citizens Budget Commission released “Competitive NYS: Value Proposition Tracker” — an interactive dashboard analyzing population trends, economic growth, housing and education metrics across every region of the Empire State. CBC President Andrew Rein sat down with Searchlight to discuss the dashboard, what numbers especially stand out and his hopes for the types of conversation this data tool will spark.
Searchlight: Where did the idea for the Competitive New York dashboard come from? What were you seeking to accomplish?
Andrew Rein: The idea grew out of two long-standing priorities at the Citizens Budget Commission. For generations, CBC has focused on ensuring New York makes decisions not just for today, but for future generations. Over time, that evolved into a broader focus on competitiveness — because if New York is going to prosper, it has to attract and retain people, jobs and businesses.
About six years ago, I became increasingly concerned by the acceleration of domestic out-migration. We convened a small working group of public officials, academics and policy experts from across the political spectrum to study the data outside the political arena. That led to our Growing Gotham conference, where we presented a wide range of competitiveness indicators.
The response to that presentation was overwhelming. I suggested we should build something larger around it, and our research team, led by Ana Champeny, turned that idea into the Competitive NYC Dashboard. Once that was established, creating a statewide version became the natural next step—even though it’s far more complex because of New York’s regional diversity.
The goal is simple: bring together data on migration, the economy, education, poverty, taxes and other key indicators so people can better understand what’s happening and advocate for policies that make New York more competitive.
Searchlight: With so many possible indicators, how did you decide what belonged on the dashboard?
Andrew Rein: We wanted a broad portfolio of measures that reflect competitiveness from multiple angles. Population growth matters, economic growth matters, but so do jobs, taxes, government spending, education and quality of life. No dashboard can include everything. This is a living resource that will continue to evolve as we identify better measures. At the same time, we had to avoid overwhelming users with too much information. The challenge was finding the right balance between comprehensiveness and usability.
Searchlight: How did you make this accessible to people without a background in economics or public policy?
Andrew Rein: That was one of our highest priorities. Every indicator includes plain-language explanations of why it matters and how it relates to competitiveness. We use charts, maps and graphics that are easy to understand, and users can drill down into regional or county-level data with just a few clicks. For people who want to go deeper, all of the underlying data can be downloaded.
The information itself isn’t secret—it’s drawn from Census, IRS, Labor Department and state data—but it’s difficult for most people to compile and interpret. Our job is to make that information usable. A good example is migration between New York and Florida. Over five years, New York experienced a net loss of about 235,000 residents to Florida, representing roughly $28 billion in annual income. Previously, you’d need advanced data skills to uncover that. Now you simply hover over Florida on the map and the information appears instantly.
Searchlight: Florida inevitably comes up in conversations about New York. Beyond that, what broader migration patterns stand out?
Andrew Rein: One important finding is that domestic out-migration cuts across every income level and demographic group. It’s not simply a story about millionaires or working families; it’s affecting everyone. People often move first to nearby counties before relocating farther away. We see growth in neighboring areas like Fairfield County (Conn.), but also in places such as South Florida, Texas and elsewhere.
That tells us competitiveness isn’t just about taxes. Taxes matter, but people also move to other high-tax states. Housing affordability, education quality, employment opportunities and overall value all influence those decisions. One striking finding involves education. New York spends 81 percent more per K-12 student than the national average, yet our outcomes are only middle-of-the-pack. We spend more than Massachusetts, New Jersey and Connecticut, but they achieve stronger results. That raises important questions about whether we’re delivering the value residents expect.
Searchlight: Were there findings that surprised you?
Andrew Rein: I was encouraged by what we found in higher education. Our public four-year colleges remain a tremendous value compared with peer states, and New York actually attracts more first-year college students from other states than it loses. That’s important because many of those students remain here after graduation, strengthening our workforce. I was also struck by the state’s emerging growth corridor stretching from the Capital Region through the Hudson Valley, New York City and Long Island. Buffalo, Rochester and parts of Syracuse are also showing encouraging signs.
At the same time, many regions continue to struggle. Half of New York’s regions still haven’t recovered all the jobs lost during the pandemic, and some areas are experiencing both population decline and natural population loss, with more deaths than births. Those communities need more deliberate strategies that connect higher education, workforce development and economic development investments to actual job creation.
Searchlight: State spending has grown roughly $30 billion beyond inflation over the past decade. What’s driving that increase?
Andrew Rein: The largest drivers are Medicaid and education. Those are critically important services, but New York already ranks among the nation’s highest-taxed and highest-spending states. If New York spent at the same per-capita level as neighboring New Jersey, state and local governments would spend about $70 billion less annually. The issue isn’t simply how much we spend—it’s how effectively we spend it.
In Medicaid, home-care spending has exploded over a short period, and that’s putting enormous pressure on the budget. In education, we continue funding districts that have shrinking enrollment while also guaranteeing annual increases. This year alone, roughly $700 million goes toward maintaining aid for declining student populations. We also direct billions to wealthy districts that already have sufficient local resources to provide a constitutionally adequate education. The opportunity is to allocate existing dollars more effectively rather than simply spending more.
Searchlight: If a state legislator spent just five minutes with the dashboard, what would you hope they took away?
Andrew Rein: First, I’d want them to recognize that New York has among the nation’s highest taxes and spending and ask whether residents are receiving appropriate value. Second, I’d want them to understand what’s happening in their own district—whether it’s migration, employment, education or population trends. Finally, I’d hope they leave with an agenda for improving their region. If the dashboard helps policymakers better understand their communities and identify priorities, we’ve succeeded.
Searchlight: And what about the average New Yorker?
Andrew Rein: Different people will naturally gravitate toward different topics. Some will focus on migration, others on education, poverty or the economy. What I hope is that the dashboard encourages people to engage rather than tune out. We live in an incredibly data-rich world where it’s easy to become overwhelmed. This is designed to make complex information understandable so people can participate more thoughtfully in conversations about New York’s future.
Searchlight: Looking ahead five years, what would success look like?
Andrew Rein: I’d like to see two kinds of success. One is that the dashboard itself continues to grow into an even richer public resource. More importantly, I’d like the underlying numbers to improve. I’d like to see domestic out-migration decline substantially, and I’d like New York’s educational outcomes rise to match the level of investment we’re making. New York is a human-capital economy. If we deliver outstanding education, attract talented people and strengthen our workforce, we’ll be a more competitive state.
Searchlight: Are you optimistic this project can elevate the public conversation?
Andrew Rein: I am. Too much of today’s public debate is driven by slogans, misinformation and political talking points. Better information leads to better conversations. Every time someone looks at the dashboard and says, “I didn’t know that,” or “I had that wrong,” we’ve made progress. Better-informed New Yorkers become better participants in shaping the state’s future.
Searchlight: Thank you for your time, Andrew Rein.