Walden (Village), 1875
Walden’s story
290 years in pictures
Census counts: 1,254 in 1870, 6,818 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1871 and 3 maps from 1903 on.
- 1736Walden is settled
WaldenNY
Trash day: TuesdayPhoto: Daniel Case · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
6,935
2025 Census estimate · +0.7% since 2020
Typical home
$423K
+2.4% in a year
Household income
$87K
median
Median age
37.0
years
Jobs based here
1,028
A commuter town
TownGrade
B
#310 of 745 in NY
Is Walden a good place to live?
For most people who can afford it, yes. Walden grades B overall, ranked 310th of 745 in New York. 11% of its land is conserved. It reports less crime per resident than 83% of U.S. towns. The catch is cost: the typical home is worth about $423K, 4.3 years of the Kiryas Joel metro’s $98K median household income. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 94% of U.S. towns. Walden’s average trip to work is 35 minutes, where New York’s towns sit at 25 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Walden is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 87% of U.S. towns. James W. Olley Park, at 87 acres with 1.3 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
What makes Walden stand out
Where Walden beats most towns.
How Walden grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New York), ordered by how far Walden is from typical.
Cost of livingDOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 11.6 of 20; 3% of households have no carAOpen →SafetyA−Open →SchoolsBeat 61% of New York districts on tests and graduationBOpen →Jobs & income$87K median household incomeBOpen →HealthMontefiore St. Luke's Cornwall 9.8 miles awayBOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors2 miles of trailsAOpen →History1 notable person born hereAOpen →Civic life7.3 library visits per resident; 4.8 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market66 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 37.0; 28% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 484 attractions →United States Military Academy and 47 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Walden. Close and well known come first.
Big draw17 mi MuseumUnited States Military Academy
19 mi National Historic SiteHome of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site102K visitors a year
17 mi Stadium & arenaMichie Stadium
20 mi National Historic SiteVanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site295K visitors a year12 mi Park & preserveMinnewaska State Park Preserve
12 mi MuseumStorm King Art CenterSources: 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 · Michie Stadium: John Pellino, Public domain · Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site: Daderot, Public domain · Storm King Art Center: Doug Kerr from Albany, NY, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Walden: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Walden, and how to reach them.
PowerNew York State Elec & Gas22.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterWalden Village water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpTuesdayTrash dayTown site
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 hereOrange County Board of ElectionsOrange County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP code1258612586 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 Walden.
OutdoorsA
11.3% of Walden is conserved land
2.1 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves. Walden’s trail density is 1.0 miles per square mile.
#122for trails in NY
11.3%
conserved · 149 of 1,325 acres
2.1 mi
of trails · 1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. James W. Olley Park | 1.3 mi | 87 |
| 2. Bradley Park | — | 20 |
| 3. Wooster Memorial Grove Park | — | 7 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SafetyA−
Walden’s grade for safety is an A−
At 7.4 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 69% of New York’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 71 to 18 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The property crime rate in Walden is 2.6 per 1,000 residents.
83%of U.S. towns report more crimeA−Safety Grade
| Walden | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.6 per 1,000 residents | 7.6 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 0.8 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Walden0
New York3.7
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Walden2.6
New York15.7
U.S.15.5
83rd
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
69th
percentile among NY towns
0
violent crimes reported in 2025
18
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
With 0.3 jobs for every working resident, most of Walden’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Walden for work: only 6% work in town. Jobs based in Walden fell to 1,028 in 2023, 136 fewer than in 2013. The top destinations are Montgomery (19%), New York (13%) and Wallkill (7%).
6%work in town
| Walden | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 8.8% | 12% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 6.3% | 10% | 8% |
| Median household income | $87,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Walden6%
Montgomery19%
New York13%
Wallkill7%
Newburgh5%
15 mi
median commute distance
1,028
jobs based in Walden
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
A
Walkability grade: more walkable than 87% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Walden has snowy winters and pleasant summers
Walden has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 18° and about 44 inches of snow falls in a winter.
44″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter21–38°
Spring37–59°
Summer60–82°
Fall42–63°
Oct 11
typical first frost
May 1
typical last frost
+1.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade D
Walden’s grade for cost of living is a D
60% of households own their home in Walden. The typical Walden home is worth about $423,000, up 2.4% in a year, 19% below the New York typical home.
$423KZillow home value
| Walden | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 60% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,625 a month | $1,098 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Walden$423K
New York$525K
Market temperature
66
days on market
101.2%
sale-to-list price
+2.4%
value change, 1 year
5
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
HealthB
Walden ranks healthier than 56% of the country’s towns
Walden beats the New York average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 9. 40% of Walden adults sleep under 7 hours.
56%healthier than U.S. townsBHealth Grade
| Walden | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 37% | 36% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 34% | 35% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 13% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 21% | 23% |
32 measures vs. New York
1 better22 too close to call9 worse
| What stands out | Walden | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with high cholesterol | 33.1% | 37.7% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 17.6% | 12.8% |
Montefiore St. Luke's Cornwall
9.8 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
35th
percentile among NY towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B−
Inland flooding leads a moderate hazard risk in Walden
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 51% of U.S. communities. Since 1980, 5 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Walden.
51risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesHurricanes
5
paid flood claims since 1980
9
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Walden
20pages on Walden
The big questions
SchoolsBBeat 61% of NY districtsSafetyA−0 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthBBetter than NY on 1 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingD$423K typical home · up 2.4% in a yearWork & commuteB$87K median household income · 1,028 jobs hereNatural hazardsB−FEMA risk higher than 51% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
5 within 15 miles of the center of Walden
Mount Saint Mary CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Newburgh9.6 mi$43,450 tuitionState University of New York at New PaltzUniversity or college · Public · New Paltz13.7 mi$8,572 in-state tuitionOrange County Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Middletown14.9 mi$6,526 in-state tuition
About 8 of every 100 Walden residents are enrolled in college, about the same as New York.
Get outside
2 miles of trails in Walden
11.3% of the town is conserved land, across 5 parks and preserves.
Trails © OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
About Walden
Village in New York, US
Walden is the largest of three villages of the town of Montgomery in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 6,818 at the 2020 census. It has the ZIP Code 12586 and the 778 telephone exchange within the 845 area code. Walden is part of the Kiryas Joel–Poughkeepsie–Newburgh metropolitan area as well as the larger New York metropolitan area. The precursor to the village began in the early 18th century as a mill town along the Wallkill River. One miller, Jacob Walden, was so successful the village that incorporated in the mid-19th century took its name from him. Later, it would be the village's three knife manufacturers that brought it growth and prosperity. They are gone to…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1736
- Area
- 5.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 260 ft
- ZIP code
- 12586
Questions about Walden
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Walden, NY a good place to live?
For most people who can afford it, yes. Walden grades B overall, better than 60% of U.S. towns and #310 of 745 in New York. It grades B for health, A− for safety and B for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Walden, NY expensive?
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.