CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

41.72° N · 73.86° W · GEOID 3644105

MacDonnell Heights

Dutchess County, New York · part of the Kiryas Joel, NY metro

Limited data population under 5,000, core figures borrowed from county or metro: median_gross_rent

New YorkMacDonnell Heights, NYMacDonnell HeightsMacDonnell Heights

The short answer

MacDonnell Heights is home to 1,429 people. Median household income is $141,579 a year and median rent is $1,582 a month, 13.4% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $354,800, about 2.5x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$1,582
16% above the median place
Median household income
$141,579
76% above the median place
Median home value
$354,800
11% above the median place
Unemployment
5.2%
7% above the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about MacDonnell Heights

  • 100% of homes are owner-occupied, more than in 99% of the 2,476 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the highest of 338 New York places.
  • The median rent takes only 13.4% of the median household's income, a smaller share than in 91% of places its size.
  • The median household earns $141,579 a year, more than in 89% of places its size.
  • 60% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, a larger share than in 88% of places its size.
  • The median home is worth 2.5 years of the median household's income, fewer than in 84% of places its size.

Rent is light relative to pay, but the county has a FEMA natural hazard risk score of 88 out of 100. Budget for insurance before counting the savings.

01

Moving to MacDonnell Heights

Dutchess County loses about 1.3 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in10,975
Moved out11,281
Net−306

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Ulster County, NY749946−197
New York County, NY546387+159
Kings County, NY616302+314
Queens County, NY476

Within New York, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within New YorkOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$97K
Leavers$85K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Dutchess County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
0.0% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 0.0% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Dutchess County report $96,700 a year in income on average; those leaving, $85,200, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$63,300 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,582 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,444 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $354,800.
Getting to work
31 minutes each way on average; 15.3% work from home; 3.8% take transit.
If it is close but not quite
Winfield, IL matches it on character. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
0.0%
below the median place (median 5.7%)
Moved from another state1
0.0%
below the median place (median 2.0%)
Income of households moving in7
$96,749
37% above the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureMacDonnell HeightsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year10.0%below (median 5.7%)
Moved from another state10.0%below (median 2.0%)
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure-1.3117% below
Income of households moving in7County figure$96,74937% above
Income of households moving out7County figure$85,18721% above
02

What it costs to live here

Homeownership is 100.0%, 51% above the median place.

MacDonnell Heights13.4%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$63,280
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
13.4%
34% below the median place
Home price to income
2.5x
34% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
13%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$113,800
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in MacDonnell Heights, $1,582 a month, and local prices for everything else (108.1 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like MacDonnell Heights, but easier on the budget

Close matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income.

PlaceRent to incomeMore left a year
Country Knolls, NY10.0% vs 13.4%n/aCompare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in MacDonnell Heights.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to MacDonnell Heights? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Homeownership1
100.0%
51% above the median place
Property tax paid (median)1
$10,001
206% above the median place
Median year built1
1963
1% below the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureMacDonnell HeightsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1County figure$1,58216% above
Rent to income113.4%34% below
Home price to income12.5x34% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure109.48% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$2,13132% above
HUD area median income4County figure$125,90017% above
Property tax paid (median)1$10,001206% above
Median home value1$354,80011% above
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure6.3%96% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure55.9%9% above
Homeownership1100.0%51% above
Renters paying 30%+1County figure52.4%4% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,44431% above
Vacant homes1County figure5.6%21% below
Median year built119631% below
03

Work and pay

Median household income is $141,579, 76% above the median place.

Median household income1
$141,579
76% above the median place
Income per person1
$49,613
24% above the median place
Commutes by transit1
3.8%
352% above the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureMacDonnell HeightsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$141,57976% above
Income per person1$49,61324% above
Unemployment1County figure5.2%7% above
Average annual pay6County figure$73,40411% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure3.5%5% below
Jobs6County figure116,69923% below
Poverty rate1County figure8.4%22% below
Mean commute1County figure31 min25% above
Works from home1County figure15.3%23% above
Commutes by transit1County figure3.8%352% above
04

Who lives here

No health insurance is 0.0%, below the median place (median 6.4%).

No health insurance1
0.0%
below the median place (median 6.4%)
Bachelor's or higher1
59.6%
86% above the median place
High school or higher1
97.0%
5% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Homes with broadband96.5% +5%
Household size2.9 +14%
Born abroad10.8% +23%
All 8 people measures
MeasureMacDonnell HeightsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population11,4296646th largest
Median age1County figure42.59% above
Bachelor's or higher159.6%86% above
High school or higher197.0%5% above
Household size12.914% above
Born abroad110.8%23% above
No health insurance10.0%below (median 6.4%)
Homes with broadband196.5%5% above
05

Life in MacDonnell Heights

272 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 11 of them National Historic Landmarks.

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents14.0 +38%
Playgrounds per 10k28.0 3.0×
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k63.0 5.6×
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails0 km −100%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars27.1 +30%
Shops34.9 +15%
Arts, recreation and fitness6.8 +66%
Doctors' offices and clinics18.7 −7%
Child care centers3.1 +35%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Students per teacher11
11.4
26% below the median place
Restaurants and bars per 10k8
27.1
30% above the median place
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8
6.8
66% above the median place
All 16 schools and local life measures
MeasureMacDonnell HeightsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools11County figure74above (median 9)
Public school students11County figure36,579above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher11County figure11.426% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure27.130% above
Shops per 10k8County figure34.915% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure6.866% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure18.77% below
Child care centers per 10k8County figure3.135% above
Parks per 10k914.038% above
Playgrounds per 10k928.0197% above
Grocery stores per 10k90.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k963.0above (median 11.2)
Libraries per 10k90.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails90.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi90.0below (median 0.2)
National Register listings10County figure272above (median 13)
06

Safety, weather and risk

Good air days is 94.0%, 37% above the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached MacDonnell Heights. Larger places are fetched first.

Good air days14
94.0%
37% above the median place
Median air quality index14
34
21% below the median place
January average low12
17°F
33% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureMacDonnell HeightsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high12County figure84°F3% below
January average low12County figure17°F33% below
Average temperature12County figure50°F9% below
Annual precipitation12County figure45.5 in4% above
Natural hazard risk13County figure88.35% below
Hurricane risk13County figure90.828% above
Tornado risk13County figure63.322% below
Wildfire risk13County figure57.36% below
Heat wave risk13County figure77.514% below
Median air quality index14County figure3421% below
Good air days14County figure94.0%37% above
08

MacDonnell Heights in 2030: where the trends point

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median household income$141,579 (2024)$180,500$152,500 to $213,500+4.1%
Median home value$354,800 (2024)$522,000$379,000 to $719,000+6.7%

The median home would be worth 2.9 years of the median income in 2030, against 2.5 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like MacDonnell Heights

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Winfield, IL$1,493$135,795Compare
Avon, OH$1,796$135,915Compare
Loudonville, NY$1,829$142,829Compare
Niskayuna, NY$1,589$134,052Compare
Niskayuna, NYLoudonville, NYAvon, OHWinfield, ILMacDonnell Heights, NYMacDonnell HeightsWinfieldAvonLoudonvilleMacDonnell HeightsWinfieldLoudonville

Common questions

Is MacDonnell Heights a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. 100% of homes are owner-occupied, more than in 99% of the 2,476 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the highest of 338 New York places. The median rent takes only 13.4% of the median household's income, a smaller share than in 91% of places its size. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is MacDonnell Heights expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 13.4% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $354,800.

What salary do you need to live in MacDonnell Heights?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $63,280 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to MacDonnell Heights?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Winfield, IL, Avon, OH, Loudonville, NY and Niskayuna, NY.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  11. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  12. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  13. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  14. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares MacDonnell Heights with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for MacDonnell Heights itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/macdonnell-heights-new-york

Citytistics. “MacDonnell Heights, New York.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/macdonnell-heights-new-york/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.