There are some that would put "upstate" as anything north of 96th Street ... and folks up here would say anything from Dutchess and Ulster south would be "metro area" ... but in general, I'd say you're right. Strictly speaking though, anything in the "MTA taxation" zones would qualify as far as the state is concerned so you'd end up including Dutchess, Ulster, Columbia and Rensselaer counties as "downstate" also since they pay MTA taxes. We don't in Albany county but the only way out of here is Gray running mutt bus lines ...