What does this measure?

Median household income, inflated to 2017 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 $70,200 in 2013-17, higher than both the state (excluding NYC) and national medians of $66,000 and $57,700, respectively. Median incomes were higher than the region in Putnam ($99,600), Dutchess ($75,600) and Orange counties ($75,100), while Ulster ($61,700), Columbia ($61,100) and Sullivan ($53,900) were lower.

When adjusted for inflation, regional median income declined by 4%, or $3,100, from 2000 to 2013-17. Every county in the region had decreases during this period, ranging from a 1% drop in Columbia (about $600) to a 6% decline in Putnam (about $6,700). The region compared well to the state (outside New York City) and nation, which experienced decreases of 6% ($3,900) and 7% ($4,100), accordingly. At the regional level, the vast majority of the decrease occurred between 2000 and 2008-12, and was flat from 2008-12 to 2013-17. Most counties also saw all or most of their decline between 2000 and 2008-12, but the median later rebounded in several counties, including Greene and Sullivan (both up 5% from 2008-12 to 2013-17.

Among local municipalities, median incomes were highest in 2013-17 in the Village of Tuxedo Park ($137,100) and the town and village of Woodbury ($123,500 and $125,600, respectively). They were lowest in the Villages of Kiryas Joel ($30,500) and Monticello ($31,200), and in the Cities of Hudson ($35,400), Newburgh ($37,000) and Poughkeepsie ($40,800).

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 2017 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.