Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Southeast grades B overall, 332nd of 745 graded towns in New York. CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 89% of the country and the median household earns $111K. The catch is cost: homes are expensive, about $447K for a typical one and 4.5 times the New York metro’s $99K median household income. Southeast’s average trip to work is 34 minutes, above both New York’s towns (25 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Southeast has 5 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Old Southeast Church and Walter Brewster House.
Where Southeast beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New York), ordered by how far Southeast is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,909 in 1820, a low of 1,909 in 1820, 18,058 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1794 and 6 maps from 1892 on.
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Southeast. Close and well known come first.
Big draw19 mi MuseumUnited States Military Academy
29 mi LandmarkFerncliff Cemetery
10 mi LakeCandlewood Lake
29 mi National Historic SiteHome of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site102K visitors a year
19 mi Stadium & arenaMichie Stadium
34 mi Stadium & arenaYale BowlUnited States Military Academy: USMA Public Affairs Office, Public domain · Ferncliff Cemetery: Anthony22 at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Candlewood Lake: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site: Crunch, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Michie Stadium: John Pellino, Public domain · Yale Bowl: Kenneth Zirkel, CC BY-SA 4.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Southeast, 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 Southeast.
Southeast trades workers with New York City and other neighbors, but it trails North Salem and its other neighbors on schools.
18% of Southeast adults have been diagnosed with depression. Southeast beats the New York average on 10 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 14% of Southeast adults report frequent mental distress.
| Southeast | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 21% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 16% | 17% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 33% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 13% | 14% |
| What stands out | Southeast | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 11.5% | 17.2% |
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 9% | 12.8% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9% | 7.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Each of its 3 graded neighbors has a higher School Grade than its C+, North Salem highest at A−.
Its public schools are run by the Brewster Central School District.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| C V Starr Intermediate SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades 3–5 | Grades 3–5 | 664 | B− |
| Brewster High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,076 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NY on state tests and graduation
19 miles of trail in 7 parks and preserves. Tilly Foster Farm Conservation Area, at 207 acres with 3.1 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Southeast | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 10% | 5.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Tilly Foster Farm Conservation Area | 3.1 mi | 207 |
| 2. Bog Brook Unique Area | 0.3 mi | 99 |
| 3. East Branch Outlet Unit | — | 120 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 82% of U.S. communities. Since 2007, 5 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Southeast.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Southeast has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 18° and about 49 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Southeast has about as many jobs (7,867) as working residents, but only 1,026 people both live and work here.
Most working residents leave Southeast for work: only 13% work in town. Jobs based in Southeast grew to 7,867 in 2023, 1,064 more than in 2013. The top destinations are New York (24%), Carmel (5%) and Danbury (4%).
| Southeast | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $111,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 15% | 12% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 13% | 10% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 8.2% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the New York average. 45% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Southeast.
| Southeast | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 45% | 32% | 29% |
| Under 18 | 19% | 20% | 22% |
| Median age | 43.5 years | 42.9 years | 40.5 years |
49% women, 51% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±1.6 points. Across New York, 51.2% of residents are women. Median age: women 45.3, men 41.7.
| Southeast | NY | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.1% | 11% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.8% | 9.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5% | 8.9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.7% | 14.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.1% | 13% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 14.2% | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.3% | 13.3% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 12.7% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.2% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 9.3% | 12% | 10.4% |
| High school | 24.5% | 24.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 14.2% | 14.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 7.4% | 8.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 26.5% | 22.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 18% | 17.9% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Southeast’s median rent is $1,755 a month.
| Southeast | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,755 a month | $1,098 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 79% | 75% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
1 within 15 miles of the center of Southeast
About 5 of every 100 Southeast residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
5 places in Southeast on the National Register of Historic Places.
Town in New York, United States
Southeast is a town in Putnam County, New York, United States, so named for its location in the southeastern corner of the county. The population was 18,058 at the 2020 census. The town as a whole is informally referred to as Brewster, the town's principal settlement; the latter is also an incorporated village within the town's borders. Interstate 84, Interstate 684, U.S. Route 202, US Route 6, and NY 22 are the primary routes through the town.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
6 towns share a border with Southeast.
| Town | NY rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southeast | #332 | B | D | — | C+ | A |
| Carmel | #79 | A | D | A | B+ | A |
| North Salem | #48 | A+ | C− | — | A− | A+ |
| Patterson | #505 | C+ | D− | — | B− | B+ |
| Putnam Lake | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Southeast, North Salem and Patterson report no FBI crime data of their own. Putnam Lake isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Southeast with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Southeast grades B overall, better than 58% of U.S. towns and #332 of 745 in New York. It grades A for health and C+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. The typical home is worth about $447,000, 15% 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.
