Shokan station, 1902
Shokan’s story
184 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1875.
- 1842Shokan is settled
ShokanNY
Population
1,196
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$464K
+1.2% in a year
Household income
$137K
median
Median age
54.3
years
Jobs based here
164
A commuter town
Is Shokan a good place to live?
Shokan’s rent at the middle of the market is $2,291 a month, above both the New York town median ($1,101 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). 15% of the land in Shokan is conserved, against 5.2% in New York’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. The biggest place to walk is Ashokan North Unit, 155 acres with 2.5 miles of trail. We don’t grade Shokan yet; the figures below are still real.
What makes Shokan stand out
Where Shokan beats most towns.
Small town
1,196 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
OliveHurleyShokan
Nearby attractions
All 89 attractions →Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site and 31 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Shokan. Close and well known come first.
20 mi National Historic SiteHome of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site102K visitors a year
18 mi National Historic SiteVanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site295K visitors a year
17 mi WaterfallKaaterskill Falls
26 mi MuseumOlana State Historic Site18 mi Park & preserveMinnewaska State Park Preserve
16 mi Park & preserveCatskill ParkSources: 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 · Kaaterskill Falls: Mwanner, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Olana State Historic Site: Netniks, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Catskill Park: The original uploader was Daniel Case at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0
Getting set up
Moving to Shokan: who provides what
Shokan is unincorporated, so Ulster County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerCentral Hudson Gas & Elec27.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet3 providers97% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesUlster CountyUlster County provides services here
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 hereUlster County Board of ElectionsUlster County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code1248112481 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 Shokan.
Who lives here
In Shokan, the median age runs higher than in the typical New York or U.S. town
Children under 18 are 3% of residents (21% statewide); people 65 and older are 34% of residents (18% statewide). Four-year graduates: 31% of adults 25 and older here, 40% across New York.
54.3median age · NY 39.8
| Shokan | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 54.3 years | 43 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 31% | 32% | 29% |
ShokanNew YorkUnited States
Ages · share of residents
21%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma9%
High school39%
Some college12%
Associate’s9%
Bachelor’s18%
Graduate13%
Women and men · all residents
49% women, 51% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5.8 points. Across New York, 51.2% of residents are women.
| Shokan | NY | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 1.9% | 11% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 1.3% | 9.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 1.9% | 8.9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 8.6% | 14.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 18.1% | 13% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 19.3% | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.2% | 13.3% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 21.2% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 12.5% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 8.8% | 12% | 10.4% |
| High school | 39.3% | 24.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 12.1% | 14.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.1% | 8.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 18.1% | 22.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 12.7% | 17.9% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,200, single groups can be off by several points
Work & commute
Compared with most of New York and the rest of the country, fewer of Shokan’s working residents work locally
For Shokan, the average trip to work is 32 minutes. Half the trips to work are shorter than 13 miles. Shokan: 7.3% of residents live below the poverty line. The top destinations are Kingston (17%), Olive (15%) and New York (11%).
2%work in town
| Shokan | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 32 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.3% | 10% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 7.3% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Shokan2%
Kingston17%
Olive15%
New York11%
Woodstock6%
13 mi
median commute distance
164
jobs based in Shokan
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
59″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter19–37°
Spring35–58°
Summer58–81°
Fall41–62°
Oct 27
typical first frost
Apr 21
typical last frost
+1.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Outdoors
15.2% of the land in Shokan is protected from building
Walkers can cover 3.0 miles of trail in 8 parks and preserves. Shokan’s trail network density stands at 0.8 miles per square mile.
15.2%conserved
15.2%
conserved · 375 of 2,475 acres
3.0 mi
of trails · 0.8 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Ashokan North Unit | 2.5 mi | 155 |
| 2. Black Road Unit | 0.2 mi | 84 |
| 3. Peck Road Unit | — | 82 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Health
How healthy Shokan is
Nearly two in five adults have high blood pressure in Shokan. This New York town beats the New York average on 11 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 3. Among adults in the town, 14% report frequent mental distress and 33% sleep under 7 hours.
| Shokan | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 32% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 16% | 17% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 37% | 36% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 21% | 23% |
32 measures vs. New York
11 better18 too close to call3 worse
| What stands out | Shokan | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.6% | 17.2% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 8.8% | 14.5% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.2% | 7.7% |
Healthalliance Hospital Marys Avenue Campus
11.7 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: primary care
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Housing
A typical Shokan home is worth about $464K
The share of households in Shokan who own their home: 88%. Typical home values rose 1.2% in the year to September 2026.
$464KZillow home value
Typical home value
Shokan$464K
New York$525K
+1.2%
value change, 1 year
2
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazards
Shokan faces a moderate natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
FEMA puts 70% of Shokan’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 8% to tornadoes. On expected storm and flood damage, Shokan sits below nearly three fifths of U.S. communities.
41risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Shokan
17pages on Shokan
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Shokan
About 1 of every 100 Shokan residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Shokan for work
Where Shokan’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
164jobs based in Shokan
2%of working residents work in town
13 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Shokan
CDP in New York, United States
Shokan is a hamlet (and census-designated place) located in the town of Olive in Ulster County, New York, United States, within the Catskill Park. The population was 1,075 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 3.9 sq mi
- Elevation
- 709 ft
- ZIP code
- 12481
Questions about Shokan
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Shokan, NY a good place to live?
We don’t grade Shokan yet; the figures below are still real.
What is Shokan, NY known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Edward R. Ladew and Joseph Harvey Ladew, Sr..