Redfield (Township), 1867
Red Hook’s story
214 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1797.
- 1812Red Hook is settled
Red HookNY
A town of 1,956, settled in 1812. 7.3 times the library visits per person than the typical New York town.
Trash day: MondayPhoto: Daniel Case · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
1,956
2025 Census estimate · −1% since 2020
Median home value
$378K
Census ACS
Household income
$107K
median
Median age
45.7
years
Jobs based here
896
Balanced
Is Red Hook a good place to live?
The best of Red Hook’s subject grades are an A+ for health and civic life and an A for walkability; the weakest is a D for cost of living. 57% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Red Hook, where New York’s towns sit at 32% and U.S. towns at 29%. Only 72 of New York’s 1,213 towns score higher on health. Only 23 of New York’s 1,187 towns score higher on civic life. Red Hook has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Red Hook stand out
Where Red Hook beats most towns.
Library visits per resident
Red Hook26.4
Typical U.S. town3.4
Typical NY town3.6
Civic lifeA+
7.3 times the library visits per person
than the typical New York town
IMLS Public Libraries Survey.
32 measures vs. New York
15 better16 too close to call1 worse
| Widest gap | Red Hook | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.3% | 17.2% |
HealthA+
Healthier than 97% of U.S. towns
Less healthyHealthier
CDC PLACES 2025 estimates.
Natural hazardsA
Very low risk of storm and flood damage
FEMA National Risk Index.
How Red Hook grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New York), ordered by how far Red Hook is from typical.
HealthNorthern Dutchess Hospital 4.4 miles awayA+Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 9% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listAOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 10.3 of 20; 9.6% of households have no car; 4.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transitAOpen →Cost of livingTypical home $378K, 3.9 years of the Kiryas Joel metro’s $98K median household incomeDOpen →Jobs & income$107K median household incomeA−Open →SchoolsBeat 72% of New York districts on tests and graduationB+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors0 miles of trails; 2% conserved landC+Open →History7 notable people born hereA−Open →Civic life26.4 library visits per resident; 5.6 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 102 attractions →Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site and 35 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Red Hook. Close and well known come first.
16 mi National Historic SiteHome of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site102K visitors a year
14 mi National Historic SiteVanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site295K visitors a year
16 mi MuseumOlana State Historic Site
17 mi WaterfallKaaterskill Falls16 mi MuseumFranklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum
38 mi TheatreTanglewoodSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Home 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 · Kaaterskill Falls: Mwanner, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Tanglewood: Daderot., CC BY-SA 3.0
,_Tanglewood,_Lenox,_Massachusetts.JPG){kind=link}
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Red Hook: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Red Hook, and how to reach them.
PowerCentral Hudson Gas & Elec27.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterRed Hook Village water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers97% 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 code1257112571 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 Red Hook.
HealthA+
Red Hook is healthier than 96% of U.S. towns
Red Hook beats the New York average on 15 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 25% of adults have obesity in Red Hook, below both New York’s towns (33%) and U.S. towns (35%). 8.4% of Red Hook adults smoke cigarettes.
97%healthier than U.S. townsA+Health Grade
| Red Hook | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 33% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 8.4% | 13% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 14% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 16% | 17% |
32 measures vs. New York
15 better16 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Red Hook | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.3% | 17.2% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7.7% | 14.5% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.1% | 7.7% |
Northern Dutchess Hospital
4.4 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A
Very low risk in Red Hook, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 91% of U.S. communities.
9risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHurricanesEarthquakes
6
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Red Hook
Red Hook has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 17° and about 31 inches of snow falls in a winter.
31″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter20–38°
Spring37–60°
Summer60–83°
Fall42–63°
Oct 18
typical first frost
Apr 25
typical last frost
+1.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A−
Most working residents commute out of Red Hook
Most working residents leave Red Hook for work: only 7% work in town. Red Hook’s average trip to work is 20 minutes. Jobs based in Red Hook fell to 896 in 2023, 429 fewer than in 2013.
7%work in town
| Red Hook | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $107,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 7.9% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 7.1% | 10% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Red Hook7%
Red Hook22%
New York12%
Rhinebeck9%
Kingston5%
18 mi
median commute distance
896
jobs based in Red Hook
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
A
Walkability grade: more walkable than 89% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Safety
Crime reported in Red Hook
Red Hook's reported crime rate is below New York's. The property crime rate in Red Hook is 13.3 per 1,000 residents. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts.
| Red Hook | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 13.3 per 1,000 residents | 7.5 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.5 per 1,000 residents | 0.8 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Red Hook1.5
New York3.7
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Red Hook13.3
New York15.7
U.S.15.5
3
violent crimes reported in 2025
26
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
2.1%conserved
| Red Hook | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 2.1% | 5.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
2.1%
conserved · 14 of 680 acres
0.4 mi
of trails · 0.4 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Abrams Park | 0.1 mi | 6 |
| 2. Red Hook Memorial Park | 0.2 mi | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HousingCost of living grade D
The median home in Red Hook sells for about $430K
66% of households own their home in Red Hook.
$430Kmedian sale price
| Red Hook | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 66% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,386 a month | $1,101 a month | $1,185 a month |
2
homes sold in April
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Red Hook
20pages on Red Hook
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Red Hook
About 8 of every 100 Red Hook residents are enrolled in college, about the same as New York.
Famous people from Red Hook
7 notable people were born in Red Hook.
H
Horatio Gates ArmstrongAmerican soldier who fought in the War of 1812 · 1790–1858About Red Hook
Town in New York, United States
Red Hook is a town in Dutchess County, New York, United States. The population was 9,953 at the time of the 2020 census, down from 11,319 in 2010. The name is supposedly derived from the red foliage on trees on a small strip of land on the Hudson River. The town contains two villages, Red Hook and Tivoli. The town is in the northwest part of Dutchess County. The town also contains two hamlets. Bard College is in the hamlet of Annandale-on-Hudson. The Unification Theological Seminary is in the hamlet of Barrytown. Both hamlets are located within the Hudson River Historic District.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1812
- Area
- 40 sq mi
- Elevation
- 203 ft
- ZIP code
- 12571
- Area code
- 845
Questions about Red Hook
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Red Hook, NY a good place to live?
7.3 times the library visits per person than the typical New York town.
Is Red Hook, NY expensive?
Yes. The typical home is worth about $378,000, 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 D.
What is Red Hook, NY known for?
7 notable people were born here, including Amos P. Catlin and Kyle Murphy.