Natasha Vaughn-Holdridge is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media Columbia and Greene counties ranked among the top 10 counties in New York in population growth during the pandemic, according to the Center for Economic Growth. And the Capital Region was one of two economic development regions statewide to see total population gains between July 1, 2020, and July 1, 2021. “It is certainly positive news that there has been a positive inflow of population in the county,” Columbia Economic Development Corporation President and CEO F. Michael Tucker said. “And it is impressive that Columbia County is in the top 10 New York counties. At the same time, we must continue our efforts to attract new permanent residents as employers continue looking for workers to sustain their businesses.” Columbia County’s increase of 228 people was an increase of about [point] 4 percent year-over-year, according to the center’s report. According to U.S. Census Bureau data comparing the county in 2010 and 2020, while the county lost 2.4 percent of its population between 2010 to 2020, it was able to increase by [point] 4 percent from July 2020 to July 2021. “It doesn’t come as a surprise to us that there has been a net [gain] in migration,” Deputy Greene County Administrator Warren Hart said. “Probably the biggest contributing factor of that gain was the outflow of people from the New York Metro Area. Greene County has a large tourism economy and approximately 30 percent of our housing is seasonal housing, are second-home owners.” A large portion of the Greene County population increase during the pandemic can be attributed to second homeowners who moved during the pandemic and have now become full-time residents of the county Hart said. The Center for Economic Growth reported the eight-county Capital Region had New York’s greatest number of annual net domestic movers during the pandemic, according to the center's analysis of new U.S. Census Bureau estimates. Greene ranked second in the state for fastest growing county and Columbia was tied for eighth. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.