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The Citizens Budget Commission has a blunt message for New York leaders: taxpayers here are paying more than everyone else. A new watchdog brief shows state and local governments collected roughly $12,500 per person in fiscal 2024 — the highest per‑capita tax haul in the nation. That reality should worry anyone who cares about jobs, families, and whether New York remains a place people want to live.
New report: New York tops the nation in taxes and spending
The Citizens Budget Commission found New York collected about $12,500 per resident in FY2024. That number is about 22% higher than the second‑place state, California, and puts New York at the top of the tax charts. The watchdog also says New York is one of the highest spenders per person, and that if the state had spent like New Jersey it would have saved roughly $99 billion, or about $143 billion compared with Texas. Those figures come straight from the Citizens Budget Commission’s brief, and they are hard to ignore.
Why this matters: outmigration, cost of living, and competitiveness
High taxes are not just a balance‑sheet problem. They feed a vicious cycle. The Commission ties the high tax and spending levels to New York’s population losses, as families and businesses flee to lower‑tax states. When people leave, the tax base shrinks and lawmakers feel pressure to raise taxes or cut services — neither of which helps. New Yorkers already pay more for housing, utilities, and doing business. Adding higher rates on top of that will not suddenly make the state more competitive.
Political choices and the real test for leaders
This watchdog brief lands in a political moment. Governor Kathy Hochul has resisted sweeping broad tax hikes, but the budget did include a new surcharge on pricey second homes in New York City that Mayor Zohran Mamdani will try to implement. Meanwhile, Republican nominee Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman is making the high cost of living a campaign issue. The sensible response from any leader should be simple: stop piling on new taxes and start cutting waste. The Citizens Budget Commission says New York should “hold the line on or preferably reduce taxes.” That isn’t ideology — it’s math.
New Yorkers deserve public services that are efficient and affordable, not unlimited spending and the highest tax bills in the country. If Albany’s answer to fiscal strain is to squeeze residents and small businesses harder, expect more exits and shrinking economic clout. Lawmakers who care about keeping people and jobs should take the watchdog’s brief as a warning, not an invitation to push for yet another revenue grab. Hold the line, trim the fat, and make New York a place people want to move to — not move away from.
