Hello neighbor: Thousands of New Yorkers have moved to Connecticut since the coronavirus pandemic began in March

The coronavirus pandemic appears to have created a trend that is now boosting the state’s economy: thousands of New Yorkers are moving to Connecticut.

More than 16,000 New Yorkers have left the state for suburban Connecticut since March, according to new data from the U.S. Postal Service.

The Postal Service data shows that 5,082 New Yorkers switched their addresses to Connecticut in March 2020, compared to 1,361 in March 2019. The totals included 4,017 in April, 3,777 in May, and 3,430 in June, according to data released by USPS under a Freedom of Information request by The Courant.

As the coronavirus spread quickly through Connecticut this spring, many real estate agents believed it would strike a deep blow to the market as unemployment spiked sharply and financial fortunes dropped.

But after years of stories about people and companies moving out of Connecticut — a state often portrayed as a place with a high cost of living — the Postal Service numbers suggest that people are now moving in.

While the trend has impacted municipalities all across the state, the impact is particularly acute in lower Fairfield County. Overall, 1,319 New Yorkers have moved to Greenwich since March, including 886 in central Greenwich, 191 in Old Greenwich, 131 in Riverside and 111 in the Cos Cob section of town.

An additional 1,438 have moved to Stamford, while 626 have moved to Westport, according to the data. In addition, 415 have switched addresses to Bridgeport and 379 to the longtime commuter town of New Canaan, which is the last stop on the branch line of the Metro-North Commuter Railroad.

While Fairfield County has seen the most new residents, 94 different towns had new arrivals in March from Greenwich to Stonington to West Cornwall. The totals since March include 219 in West Hartford, 139 in Hartford, and 88 in Avon.

Both commercial and residential real estate agents have noticed the trend as companies and individuals have moved to the state. The data does not indicate whether the individuals are renting or have purchased homes. It also cannot indicate whether the individuals will stay for the long term or the short term. Instead, it simply says they have switched their addresses.