The biggest park or preserve is Knox's Headquarters State Historic Site, at 44 acres. We don’t grade Vails Gate yet; the figures below are still real.

Nearby attractions

United States Military Academy and 76 more within 40 miles

Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Vails Gate. Close and well known come first.

All 563 attractions →

Big draw7 mi MuseumUnited States Military Academy

7 mi Stadium & arenaMichie Stadium

32 mi LandmarkFerncliff Cemetery

21 mi National Historic SiteHome of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site102K visitors a year

2 mi MuseumStorm King Art Center

6 mi LandmarkWest Point Cemetery

Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons

Photo credits

United States Military Academy: USMA Public Affairs Office, Public domain · Michie Stadium: John Pellino, Public domain · Ferncliff Cemetery: Anthony22 at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site: Crunch, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Storm King Art Center: Doug Kerr from Albany, NY, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0 · West Point Cemetery: Ahodges7, Public domain

Getting set up

Moving to Vails Gate: who provides what

Vails Gate is unincorporated, so Orange County and regional agencies provide most services.

PowerCentral Hudson Gas & Elec27.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA

WaterNew Windsor Consolidated WD water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA

Internet2 providers96% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC

Trash & county servicesOrange CountyOrange County provides services here

SchoolsNewburgh City School DistrictWhich school depends on your addressNCES

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.gov

Who runs elections hereOrange County Board of ElectionsOrange County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023

ZIP code1255312553 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 Vails Gate.

Natural hazards

Top of a very low hazard risk in Vails Gate: inland flooding

The risk rating from FEMA for Vails Gate comes to 13 of 100. Expected losses in Vails Gate break down as 53% from inland flooding and 11% from hurricanes. Also worth knowing: this New York town has had one paid flood insurance claim since 2005.

13risk score of 100

FEMA risk score

Inland floodingHurricanesCold waves

paid flood claims since 2005

Full pageVails Gate’s hazards pageOpen the page

What it facesVery low risk Flood claims1 paid flood claims · Since 2005 Past disasters27 disaster declarations · Declared for the county Get ready2.8 events a year, on average · Ready for inland flooding

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Climate

Four seasons and pleasant summers: that is Vails Gate’s year

In July, afternoons reach 84°; in January, nights fall to 19°, and about 36 inches of snow falls in a winter.

36″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter21–38°

Spring38–60°

Summer61–82°

Fall43–63°

Nov 1

typical first frost

Apr 10

typical last frost

+2.0°

vs. the 20th-century average

Full pageVails Gate’s climate pageOpen the page

A year of weatherJuly highs 84°, January lows 19°Rain & snow36″ of snow a winter · 45 inches of rain and snow a year Heating & coolingMostly a heating bill Then and now+2.0° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Work & commute

The average trip to work in Vails Gate is longer than in most of New York or the rest of the country

Between 2013 and 2023, jobs in Vails Gate rose by 242, to 2,000. 5.6% of Vails Gate residents live below the poverty line. The town’s typical household income stands at $71,000, where New York’s towns sit at $82,000 and U.S. towns at $80,000. Most people who work leave Vails Gate to do it: just 5% work in town.

5%work in town

	Vails Gate	New York towns	U.S. towns
Average trip to work	48 minutes	25 minutes	25 minutes
Below the poverty line	5.6%	9.5%	9.6%
Working residents who work in town	4.9%	10%	8%
Median household income	$71,000	$82,000	$80,000

Where working residents work

In Vails Gate5%

New York17%

New Windsor11%

Newburgh8%

Newburgh7%

16 mi

median commute distance

2,000

jobs based in Vails Gate

Balanced

jobs vs. working residents

Full pageVails Gate’s work & commute pageOpen the page

The jobs here2,000 jobs based here · Balanced Where people work5% work in Vails Gate Commute times48 minutes · The average commute How far they goHalf commute less than 16 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Health

A smaller share of adults in Vails Gate binge drink than in the typical New York or U.S. town

Vails Gate: 10% of adults smoke cigarettes, below both New York’s towns (13%) and U.S. towns (14%). In Vails Gate, 38% of adults sleep under 7 hours.

	Vails Gate	New York towns	U.S. towns
Depression (CDC PLACES)	16%	21%	23%
Binge drink (CDC PLACES)	14%	17%	16%
Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES)	10%	13%	14%
Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES)	15%	16%	17%

32 measures vs. New York

0 better32 too close to call0 worse

Montefiore St. Luke's Cornwall

3.7 mi away · emergency room

2 of 3

care shortages: primary care, mental health

Full pageVails Gate’s health reportOpen the page

Everyday habitsFewer binge drinkers Hospitals & doctors nearby3.7 miles to an ER · Montefiore St. Luke's Cornwall How adults are doingFewer lonely adults Every CDC estimateBetter than NY on 0 of 32

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Outdoors

8.5% of the land in Vails Gate is protected from building

Walkers can cover 0.5 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.

8.5%conserved

	Vails Gate	New York towns	U.S. towns
Conserved land	8.5%	5.2%	4.3%
Miles of trail per square mile	0.5 miles per square mile	0.4	0.4

8.5%

conserved · 56 of 656 acres

0.5 mi

of trails · 0.5 per sq mi

Biggest places to walk	Trails	Acres
1. Knox's Headquarters State Historic Site	0.4 mi	44

Full pageVails Gate’s outdoors pageOpen the page

Trail map0.5 miles of trail, mapped Pick a walk0.4 miles of trail · Knox's Headquarters State Historic Site Conserved land8.5% conserved · 56 acres protected Questions“Where can I hike in Vails Gate?”

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

Who lives here

An age mix much like New York’s

Here, a third of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree, against 40% in New York as a whole. No age group stands out against New York: all are within 4 points. For residents in Vails Gate, the share who are under 18 is 17%.

40median age · NY 39.8

	Vails Gate	New York towns	U.S. towns
Under 18	17%	20%	22%
Median age	40 years	43 years	40.5 years
Aged 65 or older	21%	20%	18%

Vails GateNew YorkUnited States

NYU.S.

Ages · share of residents

18%

Education · adults 25 and older

No diploma11%

High school23%

Some college23%

Associate’s11%

Bachelor’s22%

Graduate10%

Women and men · all residents

57% women, 43% men

About 75 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±4.7 points). Across New York, 51.2% of residents are women.

Ages and education in Vails Gate
	Vails Gate	NY	U.S.
Under 10	11.5%	11%	11.6%
10 to 17	5.8%	9.5%	10.3%
18 to 24	8.4%	8.9%	9.1%
25 to 34	16.1%	14.2%	13.7%
35 to 44	16%	13%	13.2%
45 to 54	3.8%	12.2%	12.2%
55 to 64	17.9%	13.3%	12.7%
65 to 74	11.5%	10.3%	10.2%
75 and older	9.1%	7.6%	7%
No diploma	10.9%	12%	10.4%
High school	23.1%	24.3%	26%
Some college	22.6%	14.6%	19.1%
Associate’s	10.8%	8.8%	8.8%
Bachelor’s	22.3%	22.4%	21.6%
Graduate	10.3%	17.9%	14.1%

Full pageVails Gate by the numbersOpen the page

Ages40 median age · 21% are 65 or older Schooling33% have a four-year degree Homes56% own their home · Homeowners Income$71K a year · Median household income

U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 3,100, single groups can be off by several points

Housing

The median home in Vails Gate sells for about $313K

Among households in Vails Gate, 56% are owner-occupiers. Its going rate for rent is $1,616 a month.

$313Kmedian sale price

	Vails Gate	New York towns	U.S. towns
Households that own their home	56%	75%	73%
Median rent	$1,616 a month	$1,101 a month	$1,185 a month

homes sold in May

Full pageVails Gate’s housing & cost-of-living pageOpen the page

Prices over the yearsPrices over the years Years of income to buyA typical home costs 4.4 years of income Rents$1,616 a month · Median rent Vs. the neighbors3 bordering towns

Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Vails Gate

15pages on Vails Gate

The big questions

HealthBetter than NY on 0 of 32 CDC measures Cost of livingWork & commute$71K median household income · 2,000 jobs here Natural hazardsFEMA risk higher than 13% of U.S. communities · inland flooding

Out and about

Outdoors1 mi of trails · 8% conserved land PlacesAttractions563 nearby · National Purple Heart Hall of Honor 1 mi LibraryCornwall Public Library CollegesYeshiva Ohr Naftoli is 0.4 mi away

The story

Climate84° summer highs · 36″ of snow

Day to day

NewsWeatherHandbookZIP code 12584 Town SquareNeighbors

After high school

Colleges nearby

5 within 15 miles of the center of Vails Gate

Yeshiva Ohr NaftoliUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · New Windsor0.4 mi$10,870 tuition Mount Saint Mary CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Newburgh4.3 mi$43,450 tuition United States Military AcademyUniversity or college · Public · West Point7 mi

About 5 of every 100 Vails Gate residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

About Vails Gate

CDP in New York, United States

Vails Gate is a hamlet (and census-designated place) in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 3,368 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Kiryas Joel–Poughkeepsie–Newburgh, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the larger New York–Newark–Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-New York metropolitan area. Vails Gate is in the southern part of the Town of New Windsor, located on Route 32. It is defined largely by the junction of that highway with Routes 94 and 300, a busy commercial center which has the ZIP code 12584. Part of that also spills into adjacent regions of the Town of Cornwall to the south.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)