Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Some subjects shine; others lag. Its weakest subject is schools: its public schools trail 96% of New York towns on state tests and graduation. On health it is strong (A−) — CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of nearly four fifths of the country. At about $334K, a typical home costs 3.4 years of the Kiryas Joel metro’s $98K median household income. Walkability is another plus: it is more walkable than 82% of U.S. towns. All told, that adds up to a C overall and a rank of 568th of 745 in New York. Set against the rest, it does better than 28% of U.S. towns. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 99% of U.S. towns, with 8 places on the National Register.
Figures: health, CDC PLACES · schools, state test and graduation results · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24.
Where North East beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Census counts: 2,037 in 1820, a low of 1,385 in 1840, 2,971 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1876 and a map from 1955 on.
8 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New York), ordered by how far North East is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in North East, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in North East.
Public schools: the Northeast Central School District. Two of its 3 schools are shown below, with the reason for each.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eugene Brooks Intermediate SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 4–8 | Grades 4–8 | 236 | C− |
| Webutuck High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 194 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NY on state tests and graduation
The biggest park or preserve is Harlem Valley Rail Trail, at 40 acres. In 2 parks and preserves, walkers have 21 miles of trail. Also worth knowing: the trail density for North East comes to 0.5 miles per square mile, against 0.4 in New York’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Taconic State Park – Rudd Pond Area | 19.1 mi | 2,666 |
| 2. Harlem Valley Rail Trail | — | 40 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
For adults in North East, the share who have been diagnosed with depression is 20%. On the CDC’s 32 measures, North East is ahead of New York on 5 and behind on 3. 28% of North East adults have obesity, where New York’s towns sit at 33% and U.S. towns at 35%. Among adults locally, 15% report frequent mental distress and 15% binge drink.
| North East | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 33% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 16% | 17% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 17% | 16% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 21% | 23% |
| What stands out | North East | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 12.1% | 17.2% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 10.5% | 14.5% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.1% | 7.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
North East has about as many jobs (1,199) as working residents, but only 290 people both live and work here. The average commute takes 24 minutes, against 32.6 across New York.
Among residents in North East, 14% live below the poverty line. Jobs based in North East grew to 1,199 in 2023, 115 more than in 2013. For half of commuters, work is under 22 miles away. The top destinations are New York (14%), Salisbury (8%) and Amenia (4%).
| North East | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 23% | 10% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
In North East, 18% of residents are under 18. People 65 and older are 23% of residents (18% statewide). The median age for North East comes to 47.2 years. Nearly two in five adults 25 and older hold at least a bachelor’s degree, against 40% across New York.
| North East | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 47.2 years | 42.9 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 18% | 20% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 23% | 20% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 39% | 32% | 29% |
48% women, 52% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5.1 points. Across New York, 51.2% of residents are women.
| North East | NY | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.1% | 11% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.4% | 9.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 9.9% | 8.9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.9% | 14.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9% | 13% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9% | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 21.7% | 13.3% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 11.9% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 11.8% | 12% | 10.4% |
| High school | 23.9% | 24.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 14.9% | 14.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.4% | 8.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.7% | 22.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 19.3% | 17.9% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 3,000, single groups can be off by several points
77% of households own their home here. North East’s rent at the middle of the market is $1,340 a month.
| North East | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,340 a month | $1,098 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 77% | 75% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Flood insurance has paid out on 5 claims in North East since 1996. Storm and flood damage is expected to run higher than in 50% of U.S. communities. Households locally have drawn federal disaster aid in 6 declared disasters, most recently in 2023. FEMA puts 71% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 13% to hurricanes.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around North East. Close and well known come first.
21 mi National Historic SiteHome of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site102K visitors a year
23 mi National Historic SiteVanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site295K visitors a year
24 mi MuseumOlana State Historic Site
31 mi LakeCandlewood Lake
38 mi Theme parkLake Compounce
26 mi MuseumNorman Rockwell MuseumHome 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 · Candlewood Lake: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Lake Compounce: Wildcat1 at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Norman Rockwell Museum: User:Rmrfstar, CC BY 2.5
None within 15 miles of North East; the nearest are
About 5 of every 100 North East residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
8 places in North East on the National Register of Historic Places.
3 notable people were born in North East.
Town in New York, United States
North East is a town in Dutchess County, New York, United States. The population was 3,031 at the 2020 census. The town is in the northeastern corner of the county. U.S. Route 44 crosses the town.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
6 towns share a border with North East.
| Town | NY rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North East | #568 | C | C | — | D− | A− |
| Pine Plains | — | — | C+ | — | B− | A− |
| Ancram | — | — | C− | — | C+ | B+ |
| Stanford | #391 | B− | C | — | B− | A− |
| Amenia | #673 | D | C+ | — | D− | B+ |
Pine Plains and Ancram have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. North East, Pine Plains, Ancram, Stanford and Amenia report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare North East with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
North East grades C overall, better than 28% of U.S. towns and #568 of 745 in New York. It grades A− for health and D− for schools. Schools is its weak spot, with a D−.
The typical home is worth about $334,000, 36% below the New York typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
3 notable people were born here, including Alexander Winchell and James B. Simmons.
