A new analysis of smartphone data revealed that approximately 5% of New York City residents have left the city since the city became a hotbed for Covid-19.

The New York Times reported that around 420,000 citizens, mainly from the richer parts of the city, have left NYC.

Almost 40% of the residents in the wealthier parts of the city, such as SoHo, Midtown and the Financial District have been observed to have left the city. The changes were not so dramatic in other parts of the city, especially where the median income was lower.

Overall, the population of Manhattan is estimated to have decreased by 20% since the lockdown measures were first implemented by New York governor Andrew Cuomo.

NYC has been hit extremely hard by the global pandemic because of its urbanization and demographics. More than 186,000 people have tested positive for Covid-19 and more than 15,000 have died because of it.

The NYT said that it analyzed anonymous data that was provided to them by Descartes Labs. They compared where the smartphone users were in February and now to see if they have moved away from NYC since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus.

Although the data is far from definitive, NYT explains that it is still a good general indicator. While the number of residents leaving NYC was minimal in March, it skyrocketed after NYC mayor Bill de Blasio announced that schools will be closed until further notice.

The single biggest factor that showed a positive correlation with the decision to leave the city was median income. Those who lived in neighborhoods where the median income was below $90,000, there was little to no movement. $90,000 would put them in the top 20%.

10% of the top 10% and a quarter of those in the top 5% left the city. Within the top 1%, a staggering 35% of the richest New Yorkers left for their vacation homes outside of NYC.

One professor from New York University explained how a crisis manifests itself differently to different people. While the richest citizens take their belongings and take to luxurious vacation homes outside the city, those who aren’t as fortunate are forced to endure the lockdown in the city.

It does make us rethink whether disaster strikes everyone equally. Share your thoughts with us in the comments, and be sure to follow us on Facebook for more news like this one.

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