Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Rosendale's standout: it reports less crime per resident than 96% of U.S. towns. Overall it grades C+, 442nd among New York's 745 graded towns. Residents are healthier than 78% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates and it has 18 miles of trail. Its weakest subject is cost of living: homes are expensive, about $326K for a typical one and 3.8 times the Kingston metro’s $86K median household income. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 98% of U.S. towns, with 4 places on the National Register. 13% of the land in Rosendale is conserved, where New York’s towns sit at 5.2% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. Only 103 of New York’s 1,216 towns score higher on history. Rosendale's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 91% of U.S. towns.
Where Rosendale beats most towns.
Binnewater Historic DistrictIts founding year, 1685, comes before those of 95% of the New York towns we grade with a known year.
Census counts: 2,418 in 1850, a low of 1,959 in 1920, 5,782 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1870 and 4 maps from 1901 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New York), ordered by how far Rosendale is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Rosendale. Close and well known come first.
Big draw32 mi MuseumUnited States Military Academy
9 mi National Historic SiteHome of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site102K visitors a year
8 mi National Historic SiteVanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site295K visitors a year9 mi MuseumFranklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum14 mi Park & preserveMinnewaska State Park Preserve
32 mi Stadium & arenaMichie StadiumUnited 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
Who provides power, water and the rest in Rosendale, 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 Rosendale.
Rosendale sends most of its workers to Kingston and beyond and sees little violent crime.
At 0.9 miles per square mile, Rosendale’s trail density is against 0.4 in New York’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. Mohonk Preserve, at 750 acres with 2.8 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Mohonk Preserve | 2.8 mi | 750 |
| 2. Giant's Ledges Pocket Park | 1.7 mi | 78 |
| 3. Snyder Mine Drive Parcel | 1.1 mi | 41 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Violent crime is rare: 0 reported in 2025, 0 per 1,000 residents.
Rosendale’s property crime rate is 2.3 per 1,000 residents.
| Rosendale | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.3 per 1,000 residents | 7.6 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 0.8 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
30% of Rosendale adults feel lonely. Rosendale beats the New York average on 6 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 3. 15% of Rosendale adults binge drink.
| Rosendale | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 32% | 33% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 33% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 17% | 16% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 82% | 81% | 79% |
| What stands out | Rosendale | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 12.3% | 17.2% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.7% | 7.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.7% | 7.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Rosendale has 696 jobs for its 2,354 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. The average commute takes 22.3 minutes, against 32.6 across New York.
Most working residents leave Rosendale for work: only 6% work in town. Jobs based in Rosendale grew to 696 in 2023, 91 more than in 2013. 17% of workers work from home in Rosendale.
| Rosendale | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 17% | 12% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.8% | 10% | 8% |
| Median household income | $72,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
People 65 and older are 29% of residents (18% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 16% of residents (23% statewide). The median age in Rosendale is 53 years. 44% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 40% across New York.
| Rosendale | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 53 years | 42.9 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 15% | 20% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 44% | 32% | 29% |
48% women, 52% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3 points. Across New York, 51.2% of residents are women.
| Rosendale | NY | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.6% | 11% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 5.8% | 9.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 3.7% | 8.9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 11.8% | 14.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9.5% | 13% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.2% | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 18.8% | 13.3% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 21.7% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6.8% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3.8% | 12% | 10.4% |
| High school | 17.8% | 24.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 26.3% | 14.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.3% | 8.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 21.9% | 22.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 21.8% | 17.9% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Rosendale has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 17° and about 59 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 57% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 33 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Rosendale.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
7 within 15 miles of the center of Rosendale
About 2 of every 100 Rosendale residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
Where Rosendale’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
4 places in Rosendale on the National Register of Historic Places.
Town in New York, United States
Rosendale is a town in the center of Ulster County, New York, United States. It once contained a village Rosendale, primarily centered around Main Street, but which was dissolved through vote in 1977. The population was 5,782 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with Rosendale.
| Town | NY rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rosendale | #442 | C+ | D | A+ | C− | A− |
| Esopus | #590 | C− | C− | — | C | B+ |
| New Paltz | #218 | B+ | D | A− | B+ | A− |
| Marbletown | #512 | C | C− | — | C | A− |
| Ulster | #643 | C− | C− | C+ | C− | B+ |
| Hurley | #488 | C+ | C− | — | C | A− |
Esopus, Marbletown and Hurley report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Rosendale with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Rosendale grades C+ overall, better than 44% of U.S. towns and #442 of 745 in New York. It grades A− for health, A+ for safety and C− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. The typical home is worth about $326,000, 38% 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.
