Indicators of financial stability are a critical benchmark of a community’s well–being. In all cases, comparisons to state statistics reflect the state excluding New York City. 

Mid-Hudson Valley’s latest data presents a mixed picture, with improvements in some areas, such as median household income, and concerning trends in other areas, such as senior poverty rates, food insecurity, and share of economically disadvantaged students.

Regionally, median household income has increased modestly over the last decade or so.
The region’s 6% increase over this period was below the state and the nation, which increased 7% and 14%, respectively.

The median household income in the Mid-Hudson Valley was $93,600 in 2020-24, higher than both the state and national medians of $89,000 and $80,700, respectively. Median incomes were higher than the region in Putnam ($126,300), Dutchess ($99,500) and Orange counties ($97,200), while Columbia ($81,500), Ulster ($86,300), Greene ($77,900) and Sullivan ($72,400) were lower.

Asian and White residents in the region had the highest median incomes, at $106,600 and $96,400, respectively. African American and Hispanic residents had the lowest median incomes at $76,500 and $87,100, respectively, though both exceeded rates for their respective groups in the state and nation.

Poverty rates in the region are comparable to the nation.
In 2020-24, 12% of the residents of the Mid-Hudson Valley had incomes below the poverty line, slightly above the statewide rate and the same as the national rate of 12%. The region’s poverty rate has increased one percentage point since 2010-14. Within the region, Sullivan and Ulster had the highest poverty rates, at 16% and 15%, respectively. Putnam had the lowest rate at 7%, followed by Dutchess, at 8%.    

Poverty rates were highest among Black or African American residents at 17%, and Hispanic residents at 13%, followed by White residents at 10% .  About 9% of seniors and 6% of veterans were living in poverty in 2020-24. 

Rates of senior poverty have increased by 2-4 percentage points over the last decade across Mid-Hudson Valley counties. This mirrors state and national increases of about 2 percentage points during this time.

Food insecurity appears to be rising in the region.  Greene County was the only county to experience a decrease since 2014, declining 6 points to 27%. Orange County only increased by 1 percentage point, but all other counties increased by between 5 to 8 percentage points, a 20-30% increase in rates. State rates increased by about 2 percentage points, or about 11%, during the decade.

In 2020-24, 9% of households reported receiving SNAP, less than both the national rate of 12% and state rate of 11%. Rates varied throughout counties with Sullivan reporting a rate of 17%. Rates were higher in the region’s cities: 27% in Newburgh, and 20% in Poughkeepsie. 

More students were economically disadvantaged in 2025 compared to 2015 in the region.  Since 2015, the share of students in the region who are economically disadvantaged increased 5 percentage points (a 12% increase). State rates increased by 4 percentage points over this period.
In 2025, 46% of students in the region were economically disadvantaged, representing about 65,100 children. This was the same as the statewide rate. Sullivan County, at 64%, had the highest rate in the region, followed by Greene at 50% and Columbia at 49%. The lowest rate was in Putnam, at 32%.

A low percentage of children are receiving subsidized child care. 
In 2024, over 2,800, or 1.5% of the region’s children under 13, participated in subsidized child care. This was less than the 2.9% rate statewide. Since 2010, the region’s rate of subsidized child care participation has decreased by nearly 15%, from 1.8%.

A lower percentage of the region’s population received the  Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) than nation.
In 2022, 11% of tax filers in the Mid-Hudson Valley received the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), slightly lower than the statewide rate and the 15% national rate. Within the region, the rate was highest in Sullivan County, at 16%, and lowest in Putnam, at 7%.