Ulster County, New York Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Ulster County, NY Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
B
Health Around average
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B
Income Around average
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B
Education Around averageBetter educated than 72% of counties in New York
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Ulster County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 182,585 | 19,748,855 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 157.4 | 362.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.15% | 0.05% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.5 | 38.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 74,272 | 7,694,043 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Ulster County grew by 0.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 182,585 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Ulster County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.9% of residents. That is 2.1 points above New York as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 35,478 19.4% -1.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 37,290 20.4% -1.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 41,722 22.9% +2.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 37,230 20.4% +3.0 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below New York, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.2% of the people living in Ulster County and men 49.8%.
- Women 50.2% New York 51.3%
- Men 49.8% New York 48.7%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Ulster County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Ulster County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Ulster County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $86,961 | $86,556 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.68% | 4.51% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.4% | 6.4% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Ulster County is about the same as in New York.
Housing
| Metric | Ulster County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $334,097 | $471,885 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,425 | $1,621 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 69.9% | 54.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Ulster County is about 19.5 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,425 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Ulster County spend about 44 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 183 hours, about 7.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Ulster County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.0 | 28.7 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 44.0 | 57.4 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 183 | 239 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,686 | $7,414 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 17.6% | 15.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 8,927 | 9,257 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,331 | 1,586 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
New York:
Hamilton County (13.6 min), Chautauqua County (15.4 min), Franklin County (16.4 min).
Slowest:
Bronx County (43.2 min), Queens County (41.8 min), Kings County (41.6 min).
The average commute time in Ulster County is 22 minutes, shorter than the 29 minutes in New York.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Ulster County has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Ulster County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 33.1% | 36.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.26 | 2.49 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
New York:
New York County (0.5), Tompkins County (0.4), Westchester County (0.4).
Lowest:
Bronx County (0.2), Orleans County (0.2), Hamilton County (0.2).
Health
Ulster County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Ulster County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.2 | 80.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.8% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 16.4% | 17.4% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
New York:
Tompkins County (0.8), Nassau County (0.8), New York County (0.8).
Lowest:
Bronx County (0.8), Montgomery County (0.8), Cattaraugus County (0.8).
Ulster County, NY Compared With Nearby Counties
Ulster County, NY is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 182,585 residents against a local median of 98,107. Ulster County, NY's median home price, at $334,097, runs 28% above the $262,000 typical of the counties around it.
The counties themselves spread $161,718 on median home price, so Ulster County, NY sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Ulster County, NY has the 2nd highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ulster County, NY | 182,585 | $86,961 #4/6 | $334,097 #2/6 | 22.0 min #2/6 |
| Greene County, NY | 47,409 | $78,318 | $262,000 | 25.1 min |
| Orange County, NY | 406,655 | $97,535 | $293,850 | 25.0 min |
| Dutchess County, NY | 298,059 | $99,515 | $226,516 | 23.2 min |
| Sullivan County, NY | 79,713 | $72,978 | $257,426 | 21.7 min |
| Putnam County, NY | 98,107 | $126,338 | $388,234 | 33.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Ulster County, New York.
What is the population of Ulster County, New York?
About 182,585 people live in Ulster County, New York, in 74,272 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 42.5, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
Is Ulster County, New York mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Ulster County, New York has 157 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 1.8 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Ulster County, New York?
The median home costs 3.8 times the median household income ($334,097 against $86,961), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,425 a month takes about 20% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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