Housing fulfills the basic human need for shelter and is a strong measure of a community's cost of living, relative wealth and general prosperity.  In all cases, comparisons to state statistics reflect the state excluding New York City.

Homeownership rates have remained steady across the region and on par with the state at 71%. 
Each county in the Mid-Hudson Valley had similar owner-occupied rates in 2020-24, except Putnam, which had the highest rate at 84%, and have not varied much since 2010-14. Rates varied greatly by race and ethnicity, with Whites and Asian homeownership rates at 76% and 72%, respectively, compared to 55% of Hispanics and 47% for African Americans.

The Mid-Hudson Valley experienced an increase in the rate of homelessness since 2019.
In 2024, there were 23 homeless people per 10,000 residents in the region, or nearly 2,260 people. Among counties, Ulster County had the highest rate at 34 homeless people per 10,000 residents, followed by Dutchess County (24). The area for Greene and Columbia counties had the lowest rate at 15 homeless people per 10,000 residents. The region’s rate of homelessness increased by about 24% between 2019 and 2024. 

Owning a home in the Mid-Hudson Valley remains moderately affordable, though housing costs remain high relative to income.
The affordability ratio (median home value divided by household income) was 3.9 in the region in 2020-24, similar to the level observed in 2010-14. Across the region, ratios ranged from a low of 3.4 in Sullivan county to a high of 4.3 in Columbia County – all above the ratio of 3.0 generally considered affordable.

Rental housing has become less affordable  between 2010-14 and 2020–24, similar to the state trend.
Region-wide, 34% of the median household income went toward rent in 2020-24, above the federal affordability guideline that housing should cost no more than 30% of household income. Most counties in the region had proportions that exceed the federal guideline for affordability except for Greene (26%) and Sullivan (30%). Orange had the highest percentage at 37% followed by Columbia and Ulster at 36%. In the region, the share of household income going to rent increased 7 percentage points from 2010-14 to 2020-24. In 2020-24, rent consumed 31% of the income of both African American and White households, and 32% of Hispanic and Asian households in 2020-24. The figure for African Americans was lower than the state or nation (both 34%), while the Hispanic figure was the same as both the nation and the state.