Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Poughkeepsie grades D− overall, ranked 726th of 745 in New York, mostly because of schools and safety. Its schools rank behind 98% of the state's. Its police reported 182 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025, a higher rate per resident than 84% of U.S. towns. What it does well: it is more walkable than 93% of U.S. towns. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 99% of U.S. towns, with 80 places on the National Register. Poughkeepsie’s violent crime rate is 5.6 per 1,000 residents, where New York’s towns sit at 0.8 and U.S. towns at 1.6. Its National Register listings include Matthew Vassar Estate and Poughkeepsie City Hall.
Where Poughkeepsie beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Matthew Vassar Estate| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| S F B Morse Elementary School | K–6 | 432 |
| G W Krieger School | K–5 | 419 |
| Smith Early Learning Center | PK–1 | 328 |
Matthew Vassar Estate is a National Historic Landmark, the National Register’s top tier. Its 80 National Register listings are more than in 99% of New York towns with a listing.
Census counts: 11,511 in 1850, 31,577 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1760 and 6 maps from 1893 on.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New York), ordered by how far Poughkeepsie is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Poughkeepsie. Close and well known come first.
Big draw21 mi MuseumUnited States Military Academy
4 mi National Historic SiteHome of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site102K visitors a year
7 mi National Historic SiteVanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site295K visitors a year5 mi MuseumFranklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum
21 mi Stadium & arenaMichie Stadium
27 mi LakeCandlewood LakeUnited States Military Academy: USMA Public Affairs Office, Public domain · Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site: Crunch, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site: Daderot, Public domain · Michie Stadium: John Pellino, Public domain · Candlewood Lake: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain
Who provides power, water and the rest in Poughkeepsie, 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 Poughkeepsie.
Poughkeepsie is healthier than towns with similar incomes, trades workers with New York City and other neighbors and has seen reported crime fall by a third or more.
8.1 miles of trail in 13 parks and preserves. The trail density in Poughkeepsie is 1.4 miles per square mile. The biggest park or preserve is College Hill Park, at 50 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. College Hill Park | 0.7 mi | 50 |
| 2. Spratt Park | 0.6 mi | 37 |
| 3. Springside | 0.6 mi | 18 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Poughkeepsie City School District. Two of its 9 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poughkeepsie Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 5–8 | Grades 5–8 | 871 | D |
| Poughkeepsie High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,151 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NY on state tests and graduation
Reported crimes fell from 790 to 531 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Poughkeepsie reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 84% report less.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Poughkeepsie has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers. Poughkeepsie’s July high is 86°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Poughkeepsie has about as many jobs (12,752) as working residents, but only 1,970 people both live and work here. The average commute takes 23.8 minutes, against 32.6 across New York.
Most working residents leave Poughkeepsie for work: only 15% work in town. 18% of residents live below the poverty line in Poughkeepsie. Since 2013, Poughkeepsie has lost 1,659 jobs, to 12,752 in 2023.
| Poughkeepsie | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 18% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $61,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 15% | 10% | 8% |
| Work from home | 9% | 12% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Against the 9,125 U.S. towns with household incomes like Poughkeepsie’s, it is healthier than 63%, so its C+ isn’t only a matter of income.
25% of Poughkeepsie adults worry about having enough food. Poughkeepsie beats the New York average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 16. 13% of Poughkeepsie adults binge drink.
| Poughkeepsie | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 13% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 17% | 16% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 32% | 33% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 37% | 36% |
| What stands out | Poughkeepsie | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 13.2% | 16.3% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 13.9% | 8.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Adults 18 to 34 are 28% of residents (23% statewide). Poughkeepsie has grown 2.9% since 2020, to 32,499 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 32% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 40% across New York.
| Poughkeepsie | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 38.1 years | 43 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 19% | 20% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 16% | 20% | 18% |
53% women, 47% men
About 90 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±2.5 points). Across New York, 51.2% of residents are women. Median age: women 39.9, men 35.7.
| Poughkeepsie | NY | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.2% | 11% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.3% | 9.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 9.7% | 8.9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 17.9% | 14.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 15.8% | 13% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.8% | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.9% | 13.3% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.5% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6.9% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 12.2% | 12% | 10.4% |
| High school | 30.5% | 24.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 17.6% | 14.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 7.8% | 8.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 16.3% | 22.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 15.5% | 17.9% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 58% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 41 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Poughkeepsie.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
6 within 15 miles of the center of Poughkeepsie
About 8 of every 100 Poughkeepsie residents are enrolled in college, about the same as New York.
12.8% of the town is conserved land, across 13 parks and preserves.
80 places in Poughkeepsie on the National Register of Historic Places.
41 notable people were born in Poughkeepsie.
City in New York, United States
Poughkeepsie ( pə-KIP-see) is the largest city in, and county seat of, Dutchess County, New York, United States. It is surrounded by the Town of Poughkeepsie and had a population of 31,577 at the 2020 census, while the Kiryas Joel–Poughkeepsie–Newburgh metropolitan area has an estimated 712,000 residents. Poughkeepsie is in the Hudson Valley region, midway between the core of the New York metropolitan area and the state capital of Albany. It is served by the nearby Hudson Valley Regional Airport and Stewart International Airport in Orange County, New York. Poughkeepsie has been called "The Queen City of the Hudson". Originally part of New Netherland, it was settled in the 17th century by th…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with Poughkeepsie.
| Town | NY rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poughkeepsie | #726 | D− | C− | C− | D− | C+ |
| Poughkeepsie | #406 | B− | D | C | B | A− |
| Fairview | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Lloyd | #294 | B | D | B+ | B | A |
| Arlington | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Vassar College | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Fairview, Arlington and Vassar College aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Poughkeepsie with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Poughkeepsie grades D− overall, better than 4% of U.S. towns and #726 of 745 in New York. It grades C+ for health, C− for safety and D− for schools. Schools is its weak spot, with a D−.
Yes. The typical home is worth about $284,000, 46% 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−.
41 notable people were born here, including Lee Miller and Tom Holland.
