Eastern view of Kingston N.Y, 1840
Kingston’s story
Kingston in pictures
Census counts: 6,315 in 1870, 24,069 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1742 and 5 maps from 1901 on.
Explore the history →
KingstonNY
A town of 904. Home to 55 notable people.
3 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Amy Lavine · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
904
2025 Census estimate · −1.7% since 2020
Median home value
$274K
Census ACS
Household income
$73K
median
Median age
55.4
years
Jobs based here
263
A commuter town
Is Kingston a good place to live?
10% of residents are under 18 in Kingston, below both the New York town median (20%) and the median of U.S. towns (22%). Among 759 New York towns, just 1 have a lower share of working residents who work in town than Kingston. 39% of the land in Kingston is conserved, against 5.2% in New York’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. The biggest place to walk is Bluestone Wild Forest, 1,828 acres with 30.6 miles of trail. Kingston has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Kingston stand out
Where Kingston beats most towns.
Small town
904 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
UlsterRubyWoodstockKingston
Nearby attractions
All 97 attractions →Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site and 34 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Kingston. Close and well known come first.
15 mi National Historic SiteHome of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site102K visitors a year
13 mi National Historic SiteVanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site295K visitors a year
20 mi MuseumOlana State Historic Site
15 mi WaterfallKaaterskill Falls15 mi MuseumFranklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum22 mi Park & preserveMinnewaska State Park PreserveSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site: Crunch, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site: Daderot, Public domain · Olana State Historic Site: Netniks, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Kaaterskill Falls: Mwanner, CC BY-SA 3.0
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Kingston: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Kingston, and how to reach them.
PowerCentral Hudson Gas & Elec27.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterBluestone Acres MHPNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers96% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNearest public drop-offTown of Ulster Transfer Station, 4 miOpenStreetMap
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 hereUlster County Board of ElectionsUlster County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code1240112401 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 Kingston.
Outdoors
Kingston stands out in New York and nationally: trail density there is higher
The trail density in Kingston is 4.5 miles per square mile. 35 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
38.5%conserved
38.5%
conserved · 1,898 of 4,930 acres
35 mi
of trails · 4.5 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Bluestone Wild Forest | 30.6 mi | 1,828 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Work & commute
Compared with most of New York and the rest of the country, fewer of Kingston’s residents live below the poverty line
1.7% of residents live below the poverty line in Kingston. Jobs based in Kingston grew to 263 in 2023, 27 more than in 2013. Kingston’s average trip to work is 22 minutes.
1%work in town
| Kingston | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 1.7% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $73,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Kingston1%
Kingston18%
Ulster15%
New York14%
Saugerties4%
13 mi
median commute distance
263
jobs based in Kingston
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Who lives here
Fewer children than New York overall
Children under 18 are 10% of residents (21% statewide); people 65 and older are 28% of residents (18% statewide). 37% of Kingston adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more.
55.4median age · NY 39.8
| Kingston | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 55.4 years | 43 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 28% | 20% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 37% | 32% | 29% |
KingstonNew YorkUnited States
Ages · share of residents
22%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma3%
High school28%
Some college15%
Associate’s17%
Bachelor’s18%
Graduate19%
Women and men · all residents
44% women, 56% men
About 127 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±3.6 points). Across New York, 51.2% of residents are women. Among residents 55 to 64, 74% are men (NY 49%).
| Kingston | NY | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 5% | 11% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 5.4% | 9.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.6% | 8.9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.3% | 14.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 5.4% | 13% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 14.1% | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 22.3% | 13.3% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 17.2% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 10.7% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 2.8% | 12% | 10.4% |
| High school | 28.4% | 24.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 15.2% | 14.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 16.9% | 8.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 17.8% | 22.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 18.9% | 17.9% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 900, single groups can be off by several points
Climate
In Kingston, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
Kingston has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 17° and about 59 inches of snow falls in a winter.
59″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter20–38°
Spring37–60°
Summer60–82°
Fall42–63°
Oct 27
typical first frost
Apr 21
typical last frost
+1.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Kingston is
Kingston beats the New York average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 7.
| Kingston | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 17% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 34% | 35% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 32% | 33% |
32 measures vs. New York
0 better25 too close to call7 worse
| What stands out | Kingston | NY |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 7.6% | 6% |
| More smokers | 13.5% | 11.3% |
| More adults with arthritis | 28.2% | 24% |
Healthalliance Hospital Marys Avenue Campus
4.3 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: primary care
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
Kingston faces a moderate natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 51% of U.S. communities. Since 1980, 20 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Kingston.
49risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
20
paid flood claims since 1980
6
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Kingston
18pages on Kingston
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Kingston
Bard CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Annandale-On-Hudson7.2 mi$66,436 tuitionUlster County Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Stone Ridge9.9 mi$6,666 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Kingston residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Kingston for work
Where Kingston’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
263jobs based in Kingston
1%of working residents work in town
13 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Famous people from Kingston
55 notable people were born in Kingston.
About Kingston
City in New York, United States
Kingston is a city in and the county seat of Ulster County, New York, United States. The population was 24,069 at the 2020 census, while the Kingston metropolitan statistical area had 177,749 residents. It is at the confluence of Rondout Creek and the Hudson River, 91 miles (146 km) north of New York City and 59 miles (95 km) south of Albany. The city's metropolitan area is grouped with the New York metropolitan area around Manhattan by the United States Census Bureau. Kingston became New York's first capital in 1777. During the American Revolutionary War, the city was burned by the British on October 16, 1777, after the Battles of Saratoga. Albany was designated the state capital in 1797, …
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 8.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 476 ft
- Area code
- 845
Questions about Kingston
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Kingston, NY a good place to live?
Kingston has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.