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     New York metropolitan area (Downstate)      New York City exurbs which are rural in character but arguably still within the New York City sphere of influence (possibly Downstate)      Part of Upstate New York for an extranger      Restrict definition of Upstate New York

Downstate New York is a term for the southeasternmost portion of New York State, United States, in contrast to Upstate New York. It should be noted that the term "Downstate New York" has significantly less currency than its counterpart term "Upstate New York", and the Downstate region is often not regarded as one cohesive unit but rather thought of as being divided into the units which make it up - New York City, Long Island, and the northern suburbs of New York City (consisting of Westchester County, Rockland County, etc.) The term is used by the SUNY system in the name of their southernmost medical school, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, located in Flatbush, Brooklyn, though it is seldom used in other contexts.

As with all regions, there is no clear boundary between Upstate and Downstate New York, though the map on the right sums up common attitudes of New Yorkers regarding the location of the borderline. In general, the differing definitions of Upstate and Downstate are largely relative. Persons living further upstate generally consider the border with downstate to be further north than those persons downstate, and vice versa. Because of a growing population of residents moving north from the traditionally defined Downstate area, many people increasingly consider neighboring Putnam County to be part of the Downstate region, as well as the southern portions of Orange County and Dutchess County. These transitional areas are colored orange on the map.

The Downstate region contains the largest population concentration in the state, unlike Upstate, an area which forms the vast majority of the state's land area yet has a smaller population. The two regions differ culturally and socially in terms of demographics, economy, and social patterns.

Further complicating the Upstate/Downstate dicotomy is the distinction of Western New York as a distinct subset of Upstate, or often perceived as a third general region of the state.

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