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| DISTRICT PROFILE |
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| Lower Hudson Valley |
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| Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester Counties Tables of selected demographics ›› The seven counties comprising the Hudson Valley are home to nearly 2.3 million people and roughly 1.2 million jobs. More than 62% of these jobs are located in Westchester, Rockland, and Putnam counties. Dutchess and Orange counties account for another 27% of total employment while the largely rural Sullivan and Ulster counties account for the remaining 10%.Early in the decade, this area's economy was the region's star performer, leading all other metro areas in job growth. Since 2005, job growth has been more subdued but still positive. Westchester, Rockland, and Putnam Counties These southern-most counties of the Hudson Valley are considered part of the New York City Metropolitan Statistical Area. This area's major population centers—Yonkers, New Rochelle, White Plains and Mount Vernon—are all in southern Westchester County and give that county a fairly urban profile. However, northern Westchester, along with Rockland and Putnam, can be described as a mixture of suburban and rural areas.A relatively low 60% of households in Westchester are homeowners—compared with 72% in Rockland and 82% in Putnam. These three counties are among the most affluent in New York State and the nation; median household income ranges from 55% to 75% above the national average (see table below). Moreover, based on the 2005 American Community Survey, more than 40% adults aged 25 or over are college-educated—well above the national figure of 21%. Westchester County has a high concentration of service industries and corporate headquarters-for example, IBM, Reader's Digest, PepsiCo and International Paper. Overall, however, manufacturing accounts for less than 5% of its total employment. In 2000, most working residents either commuted to New York City (27%) or worked in the county (64%). Rockland County has a high concentration of pharmaceuticals firms, but otherwise is not particularly manufacturing-intensive—still, the manufacturing sector overall accounts for 10% of employment. The county also has a large cluster of high-tech and business services firms. Still, only 55% of Rockland's working residents commuted within the county in 2000; most of the rest commuted to New York City (20%), Bergen County, NJ (11%), or Westchester (7%). Putnam County consists mainly of "bedroom communities" and some agriculture but little in the way of a major industrial base. More working residents commuted to Westchester (44%) than worked in the county (29%); 13% commuted to New York City. Dutchess and Orange Counties These counties are relatively rural and, though both have a significant industrial presence, are largely agricultural. Dutchess County's urban hub is Poughkeepsie, while Orange County's are Newburgh and Middletown. These counties are less affluent than their southern neighbors, but still well above the U.S. average—median household income was close to $62,000 in Dutchess and $63,000 in Orange. Slightly more than one-in-four Orange County adults over 25 were college graduates in 2005—close to the national average—while in Dutchess County, the ratio was nearly one-in-three.Dutchess County is highly concentrated in high-tech manufacturing, but far less so than in the past. Overall manufacturing employment, which had accounted for roughly 16% of county employment in 1990, accounted for just 10% in 2006. In 2000, fewer than one-in-four working residents commuted to another county. Orange County does not have a dominant industry, but rather has a typical balance of local market sectors, such as retailing and health services. There are efforts underway to significantly expand traffic at Stewart Airport (formerly Stewart Airforce Base). Finally, both these counties seem to have a somewhat high concentration of correctional and psychiatric facilities. Sullivan and Ulster Counties These are the most sparsely populated of the seven counties and, aside from agriculture, neither has a sizable industry base. Both areas serve as recreation destinations for the New York City area—hotels account for more than 6% of employment in Sullivan County, and a large proportion of homes are vacant during at least part of the year. Median household income is moderately above the national level in both counties, but educational attainment is somewhat below par, especially in Sullivan County. Between 2000 and 2005, population is estimated to have grown by roughly 3% in both counties—roughly double the statewide average—while job growth has been flat to negative. In Sullivan County, economic development plans focus on casinos to help revitalize the area's tourism industry. |
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