What does this measure?

Median household income, inflated to 2022 dollars. Half of incomes are below the median and half are above.

Why is this important?

Median household income is a gauge of overall economic health of the region and the financial resources of households.

How is the region performing?

The median household income in the Mid-Hudson Valley was $87,100 in 2018-22, higher than both the state (excluding NYC) and national medians of $83,800 and $75,100, respectively. Median incomes were higher than the region in Putnam ($121,000), Dutchess ($94,600) and Orange counties ($91,800), while Ulster ($77,200), Greene ($,70,300) and Sullivan ($67,800) were lower.

When adjusted for inflation, regional median income increased 4% from 2008-12 to 2018-22. Most counties in the region experienced increases during this period, while Putnam stayed flat. Greene, Columbia and Sullivan increased the most at 16%, 14% and 11%, respectively. The region performed slightly below the state (outside New York City) and the nation, which increased 6% and 11%, respectively. At the regional level, a slight decrease occurred between 2008-12 and 2013-17 and increased from 2013-17 to 2018-22. Dutchess, Orange, Putnam and Ulster also had declines between 2008-12 and 2013-17, but the median income later rebounded in all counties in the region from 2013-17 to 2018-22.

Among local municipalities, median incomes were highest in 2018-22 in the Village of Tuxedo Park ($250,000), the Village of Woodbury ($141,600), Town of Chester ($141,300) and Town of East Fishkill ($135,100). They were lowest in the village of Kiryas Joel ($40,200), the Town of Liberty ($52,600), and Town of Tusten ($56,700) and in the cities of Hudson ($46,300), Newburgh ($48,600), Poughkeepsie ($53,900), and Kingston ($62,000).

Notes about the data

Figures for the region were calculated by aggregating county medians based on each county's share of the region's population. Data are presented in 2020 dollars. The multiyear figures are from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey. The bureau combined five years of responses to the survey to provide estimates for smaller geographic areas and increase the precision of its estimates. However, because the information came from a survey, the samples responding to the survey were not always large enough to produce reliable results, especially in small geographic areas. CGR has noted on data tables the estimates with relatively large margins of error. Estimates with three asterisks have the largest margins, plus or minus 50% or more of the estimate. Two asterisks mean plus or minus 35%-50%, and one asterisk means plus or minus 20%-35%. For all estimates, the confidence level is 90%, meaning there is 90% probability the true value (if the whole population were surveyed) would be within the margin of error (or confidence interval). The survey provides data on characteristics of the population that used to be collected only during the decennial census. Data for this indicator are expected to be released in the fourth quarter.