NY 376 1800s near Vassar, 1850
Vassar College’s story
165 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1850.
- 1861Vassar College is settled
Vassar CollegeNY
Population
3,529
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$416K
Census ACS
Household income
$121K
median
Median age
20.7
years
Jobs based here
2,229
A job hub
Is Vassar College a good place to live?
87% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Vassar College, above both the New York town median (32%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%). Of the 759 New York towns we compare, none has a lower home-ownership rate than Vassar College. Vassar College’s concentration of trails is 7.0 miles per square mile, against 0.4 in New York’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. The biggest place to walk is Vassar's Back Yard, 233 acres with 4.3 miles of trail. We don’t grade Vassar College yet; the figures below are still real.
What makes Vassar College stand out
Where Vassar College beats most towns.
A job hub
Every workday, about 2,146 people come to Vassar College for work
Where Vassar College’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
2,229jobs based in Vassar College
9%of working residents work in town
25 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Nearby attractions
All 178 attractions →United States Military Academy and 49 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Vassar College. Close and well known come first.
Big draw21 mi MuseumUnited States Military Academy
5 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 year6 mi MuseumFranklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum
21 mi Stadium & arenaMichie Stadium
26 mi LakeCandlewood LakeSources: 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 · 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 · Candlewood Lake: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain
Getting set up
Moving to Vassar College: who provides what
Vassar College is unincorporated, so Dutchess County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerCentral Hudson Gas & Elec27.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterPoughkeepsie Townwide WD water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesDutchess CountyDutchess 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 hereDutchess County Board of ElectionsDutchess County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, May 2021
ZIP codes12604, 1260312604 81% · 12603 19%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 Vassar College.
Work & commute
Compared with most of New York and the rest of the country, the average trip to work in Vassar College is shorter
Just nearly a tenth of Vassar College’s working residents have a job in town. The income of the median household in the town is $121,000. Jobs based in Vassar College grew to 2,229 in 2023, 275 more than in 2013. The top destinations are New York (21%), Poughkeepsie (19%) and Poughkeepsie (9%).
9%work in town
| Vassar College | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 12 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $121,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Vassar College9%
New York21%
Poughkeepsie19%
Poughkeepsie9%
Wappinger3%
25 mi
median commute distance
2,229
jobs based in Vassar College
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers: that is Vassar College’s year
Vassar College’s midsummer high is 85°F.
58″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter21–39°
Spring38–60°
Summer61–83°
Fall43–63°
Oct 14
typical first frost
Apr 30
typical last frost
+2.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
Fewer of Vassar College’s adults report frequent physical distress than in the typical New York or U.S. town
No town among the 756 in New York we compare has a higher share of adults who feel lonely than Vassar College. 5.4% of adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance in Vassar College. The town beats the New York average on 17 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 7. Only 2 of the 756 New York towns we compare have a lower share of adults who say their health is fair or poor than Vassar College.
| Vassar College | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 33% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 2.1% | 11% | 12% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 16% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 7.1% | 14% | 14% |
32 measures vs. New York
17 better8 too close to call7 worse
| What stands out | Vassar College | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 2.1% | 11.5% |
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 1.2% | 6.1% |
| Fewer adults treating high blood pressure | 41% | 77.2% |
Vassar Brothers Medical Center
2.3 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 463 acres
4.9 mi
of trails · 7 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Vassar's Back Yard | 4.3 mi | 233 |
| 2. Vassar Field | 0.1 mi | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazards
Vassar College has a moderate natural-hazard risk, chiefly from inland flooding
Vassar College has had one paid flood insurance claim since 1982. On expected storm and flood damage, Vassar College sits above half of U.S. communities. Expected losses in Vassar College break down as 75% from inland flooding and 8% from hurricanes.
50risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHurricanes
1
paid flood claims since 1982
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Vassar College
16pages on Vassar College
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
6 within 15 miles of the center of Vassar College
Vassar CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Poughkeepsie0.1 mi$71,030 tuitionDutchess Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Poughkeepsie2.6 mi$5,670 in-state tuitionState University of New York at New PaltzUniversity or college · Public · New Paltz10.5 mi$8,572 in-state tuition
College town 90 of every 100 Vassar College residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
About Vassar College
Private college in Poughkeepsie, New York, US
Vassar College ( VASS-ər) is a private liberal arts college in the town of Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. Founded in 1861 by Matthew Vassar, it was the second degree-granting institution of higher education for women in the United States. The college became coeducational in 1969. The college offers BA degrees in more than fifty majors. Vassar College's varsity sports teams, known as the Brewers, play in the NCAA Division III as members of the Liberty League. As of 2023, there are close to 2,500 students. The college is one of the historic Seven Sisters. The Vassar campus comprises over 1,000 acres (400 ha) and more than 100 buildings. A designated arboretum, the campus features more…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1861
- ZIP code
- 12604
Vassar College’s neighbors
3 towns share a border with Vassar College.
ArlingtonPoughkeepsiePoughkeepsieVassar College
How the neighbors grade
| Town | NY rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vassar College | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Arlington | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Poughkeepsie | #726 | D− | C− | C− | D− | C+ |
| Poughkeepsie | #406 | B− | D | C | B | A− |
Vassar College and Arlington aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Vassar College with a neighbor →
Questions about Vassar College
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Vassar College, NY a good place to live?
We don’t grade Vassar College yet; the figures below are still real.