Rank

3100of 3,144

Ulster, New York

Score 4.09 / 10· population 182,333

Ulster County has one city, Kingston, and 20 towns, among them Woodstock and New Paltz. Esopus Creek hit record crests at Mount Marion in April 2005 and at Cold Brook in August 2011, when Tropical Storm Irene pushed it to 23.34 feet, more than twice flood stage. In 2024 the median homeowner paid $6,114 in property tax, nearly double the $3,211 national median, and life expectancy in 2020 to 2022 was 78.8 years, against 77.1 nationally.

Sources
  • Ulster County has 1 city (Kingston), 20 towns including Woodstock and New Paltz, and 3 villages ulstercountyny.gov
  • April 2005: flood of record on Esopus Creek at Mount Marion, 26.24 feet; worst flooding in Ulster and Greene counties weather.gov
  • Tropical Storm Irene struck on August 28, 2011 weather.gov
  • Irene crest on Esopus Creek at Cold Brook (Ulster) was 23.34 feet, a record (previous 21.94 feet on 3/21/1980), against a flood stage of 11.0 feet weather.gov
  • Median real estate taxes paid in Ulster County were $6,114 (ACS 2024 1-year) api.censusreporter.org
  • Median real estate taxes paid in the United States were $3,211 (ACS 2024 1-year) api.censusreporter.org
  • Life expectancy in Ulster County was 78.8 years, against 77.1 for the United States (County Health Rankings 2025 release) countyhealthrankings.org
  • The 2025 County Health Rankings release used 2020-2022 data for life expectancy countyhealthrankings.org

v4 — beta, 30 October 2026, sourced values

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Eleven factors

Government behavior

  1. Fraser Institute state ranking (state)4.4
  2. 2A (state)0.0
  3. GOP + LP vote for President4.0
  4. Sales tax2.7
  5. Property tax1.9

Environment

  1. Air quality6.2
  2. Floods / hurricanes0.8

Private behavior

  1. Homicide rate8.9
  2. Life expectancy9.3
  3. Government employees1.9
  4. Single-parent households4.9

Neighbors