ALBANY - Upstate New York's population continues to decline, the latest U.S. Census figures show, and Cayuga County is not immune to the trend.

Census data released this week puts Cayuga County's population at 80,066 as of July 1, down 0.36 percent compared with the same point in 2006.

The picture in upstate is much different from the situation in and around New York City.

New York state's population nudged up by 15,741 in the 12 months ending July 2007 to 19.3 million people, according to the yearly estimates from the U.S. Census.

Population changes among New York counties over the year followed a pattern that has been consistent in recent years: growth in and around New York City and losses in many upstate areas.

Orange County in the Hudson Valley has been the fastest growing county in the state since 2000 and remained so last year with a growth rate of 0.82 percent. Neighboring Sullivan County was No. 2 with a 0.72 percent growth rate over the year.

The mid-Hudson Valley experienced a population boom over much of the decade, fueled in part by post-Sept. 11 jitters in New York City and sky-high home prices closer to the city. The area's real estate market has reportedly cooled recently, though.

New York City grew by 0.29 percent over the year.

Among the population losers were the counties that include Buffalo (Erie -0.54 percent), Rochester (Monroe -0.03 percent), Syracuse (Onondaga -0.25 percent) and Albany (Albany -0.11 percent). Albany is the only county in that group to post a net population gain since 2000.

There were losses in New York's rural counties too, with Cattaraugus County's drop of 497 people giving it a state-high loss rate of 0.62 percent.

Politicians upstate have been trying for years to stanch population losses as more people settle in the South and the West. The so-called brain drain of young, college-educated people is a particular concern.

While some counties in the Southwest experienced dramatic change over the year - growth rates were as high as 8 percent in Texas - no county in New York saw a percentage gain or loss of more than 1 percent.

The population estimates are based on records of births, deaths and migration patterns.

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State census by county

July 1, 2007 July 1, 2006 Change

New York 19,297,729 19,281,988 0.08%

Albany 299,307 299,637 -0.11%

Allegany 49,637 49,663 -0.05%

Bronx 1,373,659 1,371,353 0.17%

Broome 195,973 196,290 -0.16%

Cattaraugus 80,087 80,584 -0.62%

Cayuga 80,066 80,352 -0.36%

Chautauqua 133,945 134,382 -0.33%

Chemung 88,015 88,189 -0.20%

Chenango 51,207 51,146 0.12%

Clinton 82,215 82,101 0.14%

Columbia 62,363 62,590 -0.36%

Cortland 48,369 48,444 -0.15%

Delaware 46,286 46,494 -0.45%

Dutchess 292,746 292,202 0.19%

Erie 913,338 918,339 -0.54%

Essex 38,119 38,307 -0.49%

Franklin 50,449 50,427 0.04%

Fulton 55,114 54,952 0.29%

Genesee 58,122 58,418 -0.51%

Greene 49,246 49,292 -0.09%

Hamilton 5,075 5,090 -0.29%

Herkimer 62,558 62,566 -0.01%

Jefferson 117,201 117,162 0.03%

Kings 2,528,050 2,523,047 0.20%

Lewis 26,472 26,413 0.22%

Livingston 63,196 63,353 -0.25%

Madison 69,829 69,732 0.14%

Monroe 729,681 729,921 -0.03%

Montgomery 48,695 48,809 -0.23%

Nassau 1,306,533 1,312,756 -0.47%

New York 1,620,867 1,612,630 0.51%

Niagara 214,845 215,010 -0.08%

Oneida 232,304 232,238 0.03%

Onondaga 454,010 455,138 -0.25%

Ontario 103,956 103,540 0.40%

Orange 377,169 374,100 0.82%

Orleans 42,371 42,579 -0.49%

Oswego 121,454 121,701 -0.20%

Otsego 62,397 62,583 -0.30%

Putnam 99,489 99,285 0.21%

Queens 2,270,338 2,264,661 0.25%

Rensselaer 155,318 154,731 0.38%

Richmond 481,613 478,876 0.57%

Rockland 296,483 295,927 0.19%

St. Lawrence 109,809 109,920 -0.10%

Saratoga 215,852 214,664 0.55%

Schenectady 150,818 150,213 0.40%

Schoharie 32,063 31,950 0.35%

Schuyler 19,027 19,038 -0.06%

Seneca 34,228 34,238 -0.03%

Steuben 96,874 97,022 -0.15%

Suffolk 1,453,229 1,456,783 -0.24%

Sullivan 76,303 75,754 0.72%

Tioga 50,453 50,565 -0.22%

Tompkins 101,055 100,509 0.54%

Ulster 181,860 181,820 0.02%

Warren 66,143 65,843 0.46%

Washington 62,743 62,425 0.51%

Wayne 91,291 91,598 -0.34%

Westchester 951,325 948,080 0.34%

Wyoming 41,932 42,153 -0.52%

Yates 24,557 24,403 0.63%

Source: U.S. Census