The number of people living in the New York and New Jersey metropolitan area is approaching pre-pandemic levels after a sharp pandemic-era decline, according to a report from the U.S. Census Bureau released on Thursday.

The New York City, Newark and Jersey City metro region also ranks at the top of the nation for population growth between 2023 and 2024, the report said.

The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically altered life for New Yorkers, as Gothamist reported earlier this week in a special analysis marking five years since the city recorded its first cases.

The pandemic spurred a mass exodus from New York City, with many residents leaving for other parts of New York state or moving to other states altogether. The Census Bureau identified the New York and New Jersey metropolitan area as one that experienced a significant population decline during the pandemic’s early years.