Most of Putnam Lake commutes out: there are 0.4 jobs for every working resident
Only 4% stay in Putnam Lake for work; outside it, New York City is the main destination (24%, 60 miles). Putnam Lake has 668 jobs; 1,868 of its residents have a job. A typical one-way commute lasts 39 minutes, next to 33 for New York and 26 for the U.S.
Census ACS 2020–24, Census LEHD 2024, EPA Smart Location Database. How the two grades are made
The work figures that set Putnam Lake apart
Putnam Lake’s biggest commute is a long one
The top workplace outside Putnam Lake is New York City, 60 miles away as the crow flies. 24% of working residents (440) make that trip; no town closer to home draws more of them. How far ↓
Putnam Lake workers spend longer getting to work
The average trip takes 39 minutes each way, against 33 across New York. Over a year that’s about 299 hours of commuting, 46 more than the state’s typical worker. Time on the road ↓
Putnam Lake empties out on a workday
About 2,500 people are in Putnam Lake on a workday afternoon, 33% fewer than the 3,700 who live here: 1,800 head out to work and 590 come in. Day and night ↓
Written from the Census figures on this page. Commute flows, distances and jobs are Census LEHD 2024, primary jobs only (the self-employed aren’t counted); commute time and working from home are from the Census American Community Survey.
Close to home or a long way: work trips from Putnam Lake
About 28% show a job over 50 miles away. Some of that is real, and some is employers that report every worker at a head office, so a few long commutes are on paper only.
Straight-line distance from each worker’s home block to their main job’s block. LEHD 2024.
Every working resident’s trip, home to work, as the crow flies. Roads add to it, so real drives run longer.
A commute of about 39 minutes in Putnam Lake
Round trip, about 230 workdays a year: roughly 12.5 full days in the car, bus or train.
Average commute minutes, one way
of Putnam Lake workers work from home, vs 15% across New York. Their commute is the hallway.
Share of the 1,728 commuters (the 11% who work from home are left out). Across New York: 57% drive alone, 25% take transit; U.S.: 81% and 4%. Census ACS 2020–24.
From the Census survey of workers who don’t work from home.
The daily flow of workers through Putnam Lake
On a workday 1,792 residents head out to work, 76 work right here, and 592 people come in from elsewhere.
About 2,500 people are in Putnam Lake on a workday afternoon, 33% fewer than live here.
Workday population = residents − those who work elsewhere + those who come in (the Census “commuter-adjusted” method). Residents: Census survey; commuters: LEHD 2024, primary jobs.
The towns that employ Putnam Lake’s residents
Where Putnam Lake clocks in
24% of workers
7% of workersLines run between town centers. The top 10 towns each way; “Everywhere else” is the rest, including other states.
A thicker line means more commuters. Switch between where residents work and where the people who work here live.
In Putnam Lake, services account for most jobs
What kind of work
What it pays
Who does it
Jobs based in Putnam Lake, 2014 → 2024: 677 → 668. Big swings can come from how a large employer reports its locations, not only from real openings or closings.
Primary jobs covered by unemployment insurance (not the self-employed). Pay is monthly earnings. LEHD 2024.
Here is what they are, next to the jobs Putnam Lake’s own residents hold wherever they work.
13% of Putnam Lake works in a town next door
Average commute minutes, one way
Jobs & commute next door
| Town | Putnam Lake workers there | Jobs & income | Walkability | Commute | Household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Putnam Lake | – | — | — | 39 min | $103,561 |
| Southeast | 13% | A− | A | 34 min | $110,815 |
Same-state neighbors only. Commute: average minutes each way, Census ACS 2020–24.
The biggest share goes to Southeast. Darker towns draw more of Putnam Lake’s workers. Tap a town to see its commute.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Two sources, two years. Trips, distances and jobs based here: Census LEHD 2024, primary jobs, where the employer reports them. Income, poverty, unemployment, commute time and how people travel: Census ACS 2020–24 averages.
- Straight lines, older transit. Miles are as the crow flies. EPA’s walkability and transit files use 2017–20 inputs.
Jobs and commuting in Putnam Lake: questions
What is the median household income in Putnam Lake?
$103,561 (±$17,557) (Census ACS 2020–24), against $85,974 across New York and $80,734 nationally.
What is the poverty rate in Putnam Lake?
9.0%, against 14.0% across New York and 12.5% nationally (Census ACS 2020–24).
How long is the commute from Putnam Lake?
39 minutes each way on average, against 33 across New York and 26 nationally. 11% of workers work from home.
Where do people who live in Putnam Lake work?
4% work in town. The top destinations elsewhere are New York City (24%, 60 mi), Southeast (13%, 5 mi), Patterson (7%, 2 mi) (Census LEHD 2024).
Can you get around Putnam Lake without a car?
9% of commuters take transit and 4% of households have no car. EPA has no transit data for this county.
Commuter talk
Getting to work from Putnam Lake, from the people who make the trip.
More of Putnam Lake
Flows, distances and jobs: U.S. Census Bureau, LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES 8), 2024, primary jobs. Commute time, working from home and working out of state: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Distances are straight lines between home and work; real drives run longer.