Dover Plains (Village), 1876
Dover Plains’s story
155 years in pictures
Census counts: 1,996 in 2000, 1,322 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 1876 and 7 maps from 1893 on.
- 1871Dover Plains is settled
Dover PlainsNY
The town, settled in 1871, counts 912 residents.
Photo: Daniel Case · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
912
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$429K
+4% in a year
Household income
$55K
median
Median age
42.4
years
Jobs based here
205
A commuter town
Is Dover Plains a good place to live?
33% of residents live below the poverty line in Dover Plains, above both the New York town median (9.5%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Dover Plains has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
912 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
Moving to Dover Plains: who provides what
Dover Plains is unincorporated, so Dutchess County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerNew York State Elec & Gas22.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterDover Plains Water CoNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers95% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesDutchess CountyDutchess County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn New York you can register online until 10 days before Election Day, in person until 10 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before and received 10 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereDutchess County Board of ElectionsDutchess County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, May 2021
ZIP code1252212522 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Dover Plains.
Work & commute
Dover Plains has 0.4 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Dover Plains’ typical journey to work is 31 minutes. Most working residents leave Dover Plains for work: only 4% work in town. Jobs in Dover Plains grew by 73 from 2013 to 2023, reaching 205. The top destinations are New York (14%), Dover (12%) and Southeast (5%).
4%work in town
| Dover Plains | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 31 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.1% | 10% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Dover Plains4%
New York14%
Dover12%
Southeast5%
Pawling4%
24 mi
median commute distance
205
jobs based in Dover Plains
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Dover Plains
Expect July afternoons of 84° and January nights of 17°, with about 58 inches of snow a winter.
58″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter19–38°
Spring36–59°
Summer59–81°
Fall41–62°
Oct 7
typical first frost
May 4
typical last frost
+2.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Housing
Zillow puts the typical Dover Plains home at about $429K
Values rose 4% in the 12 months to September 2026. In Dover Plains, 54% of households live in a home they own. The rent at the middle of the market for Dover Plains comes to $799 a month.
$429KZillow home value
| Dover Plains | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 54% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $799 a month | $1,101 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Dover Plains$429K
New York$525K
+4%
value change, 1 year
0
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazards
Natural hazards: high risk in Dover Plains, mostly inland flooding
For Dover Plains, the FEMA risk score is 65 of 100. FEMA puts just over three quarters of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 11% to hurricanes.
65risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHurricanes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Health
How healthy Dover Plains is
The share of adults in Dover Plains who have been diagnosed with depression: 18%. 14% of adults in Dover Plains binge drink; 15% report frequent mental distress.
| Dover Plains | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 21% | 23% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 17% | 16% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 16% | 17% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 33% | 35% |
32 measures vs. New York
0 better30 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Dover Plains | NY |
|---|---|---|
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.4% | 7.7% |
| More adults with arthritis | 28.2% | 24% |
Sharon Hospital
10.8 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Nearby attractions
All 157 attractions →United States Military Academy and 50 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Dover Plains. Close and well known come first.
Big draw31 mi MuseumUnited States Military Academy
16 mi National Historic SiteHome of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site102K visitors a year
18 mi LakeCandlewood Lake
19 mi National Historic SiteVanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site295K visitors a year
34 mi Theme parkLake Compounce
32 mi Stadium & arenaMichie StadiumSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
United States Military Academy: USMA Public Affairs Office, Public domain · Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site: Crunch, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Candlewood Lake: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site: Daderot, Public domain · Lake Compounce: Wildcat1 at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Michie Stadium: John Pellino, Public domain
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Dover Plains
16pages on Dover Plains
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Dover Plains; the nearest are
Vassar CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Poughkeepsie17 mi$71,030 tuitionDutchess Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Poughkeepsie17.1 mi$5,670 in-state tuitionWestern Connecticut State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Danbury, CT24.3 mi$13,401 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Dover Plains residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
A commuter town
96% of working residents leave Dover Plains for work
Where Dover Plains’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
205jobs based in Dover Plains
4%of working residents work in town
24 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Famous people from Dover Plains
4 notable people were born in Dover Plains.
About Dover Plains
Census-designated place in New York, United States
Dover Plains is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in Dutchess County, New York, United States. The population was 1,322 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Kiryas Joel–Poughkeepsie–Newburgh, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area. Dover Plains is in the northern part of the town of Dover on NY Route 22. Metro-North Railroad has a Harlem Line station here, bringing commuters to New York City. This station was the line's northern terminus until 1852 when the line was carried farther north to Chatham.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 400 ft
- ZIP code
- 12522
Questions about Dover Plains
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Dover Plains, NY a good place to live?
Dover Plains has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What is Dover Plains, NY known for?
4 notable people were born here, including John H. Ketcham and Edward Bruce.