Old Quaker Meeting House, erected 1764, 1905
Pawling’s story
198 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1778.
- 1828Pawling is settled
Population
2,070
2025 Census estimate · +3.4% since 2020
Median home value
$379K
Census ACS
Household income
$87K
median
Median age
39.8
years
Jobs based here
814
Balanced
Is Pawling a good place to live?
Pawling’s best subject grades are an A for walkability and civic life and an A− for health; its weakest is a C− for cost of living. 53% of households own their home in Pawling, where New York’s towns sit at 75% and U.S. towns at 73%. Pawling’s trail density is 1.2 miles per square mile, above both the New York town median (0.4) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4). On civic life, just 58 of New York’s 1,187 towns do better. Pawling has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Pawling stand out
Where Pawling beats most towns.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Pawling6.7
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical NY town4.2
Civic lifeA
61% more nonprofits per person
than the typical New York town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
WalkabilityA
More walkable than 91% of U.S. towns
6.6% of workers walk, bike or ride transit
EPA National Walkability Index; Census ACS.
0historic places
HistoryA
Settled in 1828
A long history
A history going back 198 years.
A shrinking town
Pawling has shrunk 12% since 2010
2,347 counted in 2010 and 1,995 in 2020; an estimated 2,070 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Pawling grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New York), ordered by how far Pawling is from typical.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 10.2 of 20; 13.8% of households have no carAOpen →HealthPutnam Hospital Center 12.8 miles awayA−Open →Cost of livingTypical home $379K, 3.9 years of the Kiryas Joel metro’s $98K median household incomeC−Open →Jobs & income$87K median household income; 814 jobs based hereB+Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 34% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB+Open →SchoolsBeat 61% of New York districts on tests and graduationBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors2 miles of trails; 4% conserved landBOpen →HistoryAOpen →Civic life6.7 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsAOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Pawling: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Pawling, and how to reach them.
PowerNew York State Elec & Gas22.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterPawling Village water system3 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpMondayTrash dayTown site
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 code1256412564 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 Pawling.
HealthA−
Pawling is healthier than 82% of U.S. towns
Pawling beats the New York average on 5 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 29% of adults have obesity in Pawling.
82%healthier than U.S. townsA−Health Grade
| Pawling | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 33% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 21% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 16% | 17% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 17% | 16% |
32 measures vs. New York
5 better25 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Pawling | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 12.6% | 17.2% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 6.4% | 8.2% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.6% | 7.7% |
Putnam Hospital Center
12.8 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Pawling
Pawling has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 17° and about 58 inches of snow falls in a winter.
58″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter20–38°
Spring37–59°
Summer59–81°
Fall42–62°
Oct 25
typical first frost
Apr 21
typical last frost
+1.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B+
Low risk in Pawling, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 66% of U.S. communities. Since 1987, 23 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Pawling.
34risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHurricanesEarthquakes
23
paid flood claims since 1987
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B+
About one in six working residents works right in Pawling
Most working residents leave Pawling for work: only 18% work in town. The average trip to work in Pawling is 29 minutes. The top destinations are Pawling (25%), New York (15%) and Southeast (5%).
18%work in town
| Pawling | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 18% | 10% | 8% |
| Median household income | $87,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Pawling18%
Pawling25%
New York15%
Southeast5%
Carmel4%
16 mi
median commute distance
814
jobs based in Pawling
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
A
Walkability grade: more walkable than 91% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
OutdoorsB
Pawling has set aside 3.5% of its land for conservation
2.2 miles of trail in 0 parks and preserves.
3.5%conserved
3.5%
conserved · 43 of 1,244 acres
2.2 mi
of trails · 1.2 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Who lives here
An age mix much like New York’s
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the New York average. 41% of Pawling adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more. Pawling has grown 3.4% since 2020, to 2,070 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
39.8median age · NY 39.8
| Pawling | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 41% | 32% | 29% |
| Under 18 | 19% | 20% | 22% |
| Median age | 39.8 years | 43 years | 40.5 years |
PawlingNew YorkUnited States
Ages · share of residents
20%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma10%
High school27%
Some college14%
Associate’s8%
Bachelor’s22%
Graduate19%
Women and men · all residents
53% women, 47% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.7 points. Across New York, 51.2% of residents are women.
| Pawling | NY | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.5% | 11% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.5% | 9.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 3% | 8.9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 19.8% | 14.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.2% | 13% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.4% | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.3% | 13.3% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.9% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.5% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 10.4% | 12% | 10.4% |
| High school | 27.2% | 24.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 13.8% | 14.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 7.7% | 8.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 22% | 22.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 18.9% | 17.9% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,100, single groups can be off by several points
HousingCost of living grade C−
A home in Pawling sells for about $510K at the median
Pawling’s median rent is $1,416 a month.
$510Kmedian sale price
2
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 387 attractions →United States Military Academy and 82 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Pawling. Close and well known come first.
Big draw22 mi MuseumUnited States Military Academy
20 mi National Historic SiteHome of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site102K visitors a year
8 mi LakeCandlewood Lake
39 mi LandmarkFerncliff Cemetery
5 mi State parkWonder Lake State Park
24 mi National Historic SiteVanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site295K visitors a yearSources: 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 · Ferncliff Cemetery: Anthony22 at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wonder Lake State Park: Anthony22 (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site: Daderot, Public domain
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Pawling
18pages on Pawling
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Pawling
About 4 of every 100 Pawling residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
Questions about Pawling
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Pawling, NY a good place to live?
61% more nonprofits per person than the typical New York town.
Is Pawling, NY expensive?
Yes. The typical home is worth about $379,000, 28% 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−.