More historic than 2% of U.S. towns · #755 of 758 in New York. What drives it
Most of Kiryas Joel was built recently: 2% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 2006. Below: maps from 1902 on and the census since 1980.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Kiryas Joel is more historic than 2% of U.S. towns, #755 of 758 in New York. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.
D−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Kiryas Joel’s overall grade.
New York towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical New York town has 12.3 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Kiryas Joel’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (10% of New York towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D− to D. The pre-1940 share (±1.6 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1977.
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Kiryas Joel’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Kiryas Joel is named for Joel Teitelbaum, the late rebbe of Satmar and driving spirit behind the project.
The Satmar Hasidim came from Satu Mare, Romania, known when under Hungarian rule as Szatmár. Teitelbaum, originally from Austria-Hungary, rebuilt the Satmar Hasidic dynasty after World War II.
In 1947, Teitelbaum settled with his followers in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, a borough of New York City.
In 1977, according to Wikidata. the census of 1980 counted 2,088 people here.
How does Kiryas Joel rank for history?
Kiryas Joel is more historic than 2% of U.S. towns, #755 of 758 in New York. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in Kiryas Joel?
2% of Kiryas Joel’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.6 points), against a typical 27% for a New York town; the median home was built in 2006.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (6), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps and U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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