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Cost of living, pay and housing

41.43° N · 73.95° W · GEOID 3649781

Nelsonville

Putnam County, New York · part of the New York, NY metro

Computed by Citytistics from 13 public sources · Data bundle checked 2026-11-14 · How we calculate

Limited data population under 5,000

New YorkNelsonville, NYNelsonvilleNelsonville

The short answer

Nelsonville is home to 714 people. Median household income is $153,750 a year and median rent is $1,902 a month, 14.8% 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 $599,700, about 3.9x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$1,902
39% above the median place
Median household income
$153,750
91% above the median place
Median home value
$599,700
88% above the median place
Unemployment
4.4%
9% below 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 Nelsonville

  • Half the homes were built before 1938, older housing than in 97% of the 2,479 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 338 New York places.
  • Owning with a mortgage costs about $1,190 a month more than the median rent, a wider gap than in 91% of places its size.
  • After the median rent, and with prices for everything else adjusted to the US average, the median household has about $124,500 a year left, more than in 88% of places its size.
  • Counting remote workers as zero, the average worker spends about 215 hours a year commuting, more than in 87% of places its size.
  • 60% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, a larger share than in 88% of places its size.
01

Moving to Nelsonville

Putnam County loses about 3.0 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in4,640
Moved out4,903
Net−263

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Westchester County, NY1,8901,026+864
Dutchess County, NY347716−369
Western Connecticut Planning Regi, CT247463−216
Bronx County, NY488130+358
New York County, NY221163+58
Queens County, NY21684+132
Kings County, NY15071+79
Horry County, SC84

Within New York, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within New YorkOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$97K
Leavers$107K

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

Who moves here
5.9% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 1.5% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Putnam County report $96,800 a year in income on average; those leaving, $106,900, so leavers earn more than newcomers.
Income you would need
$76,100 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,902 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $3,092 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $599,700.
Getting to work
36 minutes each way on average; 22.7% work from home; 5.8% take transit.
If it is close but not quite
Midland Park, NJ matches it on character. Compare the two
Income of households moving out8
$106,860
52% above the median place
Income of households moving in8
$96,775
37% above the median place
Moved from another state1
1.5%
25% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureNelsonvilleAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure5.9%3% above
Moved from another state1County figure1.5%25% below
Net movers per 1,000 people8County figure-3.0400% below
Income of households moving in8County figure$96,77537% above
Income of households moving out8County figure$106,86052% above
02

What it costs to live here

Median year built is 1938, 2% below the median place.

Nelsonville14.8%
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
$76,080
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
14.8%
27% below the median place
Home price to income
3.9x
3% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
15%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$124,700
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Nelsonville, $1,902 a month, and local prices for everything else (105.2 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

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

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Nelsonville? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Median year built1
1938
2% below the median place
Property tax paid (median)1
$9,010
176% above the median place
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$3,092
65% above the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureNelsonvilleAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,90239% above
Rent to income114.8%27% below
Property tax rate11.5%65% above
Home price to income13.9x3% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure112.612% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$2,97184% above
HUD area median income4County figure$104,3003% below
Property tax paid (median)1$9,010176% above
Median home value1$599,70088% above
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure3.7%16% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure48.5%6% below
Homeownership173.8%11% above
Renters paying 30%+1County figure62.3%23% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$3,09265% above
Vacant homes1County figure7.6%7% above
Median year built119382% below
03

Work and pay

Mean commute is 36 min, 44% above the median place.

Mean commute1
36 min
44% above the median place
Median household income1
$153,750
91% above the median place
Income per person1
$63,941
60% above the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureNelsonvilleAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$153,75091% above
Income per person1$63,94160% above
Unemployment1County figure4.4%9% below
Average annual pay6County figure$69,3725% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure2.7%27% below
Jobs6County figure26,87982% below
Poverty rate1County figure7.1%34% below
Mean commute136 min44% above
Works from home122.7%82% above
Commutes by transit1County figure5.8%above (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Homes with broadband is 100.0%, 8% above the median place.

Homes with broadband1
100.0%
8% above the median place
High school or higher1
97.5%
6% above the median place
Bachelor's or higher1
60.0%
87% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Household size2.8 +13%
Median age42.6 +9%
Born abroad6.0% −32%
All 9 people measures
MeasureNelsonvilleAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population17146646th largest
Population change since 202071.4%25% above
Median age142.69% above
Bachelor's or higher160.0%87% above
High school or higher197.5%6% above
Household size12.813% above
Born abroad16.0%32% below
No health insurance1County figure3.6%44% below
Homes with broadband1100.0%8% above
05

Life in Nelsonville

9 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 3 of them National Historic Landmarks.

  • Champlin, H. D., & Son Horseshoeing and Wagonmaking listed 1982
  • Cold Spring Cemetery Gatehouse listed 1982
  • Dykman, J. Y., Flour and Feed Store listed 1982
  • Dykman, J. Y., Store listed 1982
  • First Baptist Church of Cold Spring listed 1982
  • Fish and Fur Club listed 1982

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars21.6 +4%
Shops28.7 −5%
Arts, recreation and fitness9.6 2.3×
Doctors' offices and clinics17.4 −14%
Child care centers3.3 +43%

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

Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k9
9.6
134% above the median place
Students per teacher11
11.0
29% below the median place
Child care centers per 10k9
3.3
43% above the median place
All 9 schools and local life measures
MeasureNelsonvilleAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools11County figure21133% above
Public school students11County figure12,955165% above
Students per teacher11County figure11.029% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k9County figure21.64% above
Shops per 10k9County figure28.75% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k9County figure9.6134% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k9County figure17.414% below
Child care centers per 10k9County figure3.343% above
National Register listings10931% below
06

Safety, weather and risk

Good air days is 94.2%, 38% 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 Nelsonville. Larger places are fetched first.

Good air days14
94.2%
38% above the median place
Natural hazard risk13
39.8
57% below the median place
Median air quality index14
33
23% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureNelsonvilleAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high12County figure83°F4% below
January average low12County figure18°F28% below
Average temperature12County figure50°F9% below
Annual precipitation12County figure48.3 in10% above
Natural hazard risk13County figure39.857% below
Hurricane risk13County figure73.24% above
Tornado risk13County figure29.863% below
Wildfire risk13County figure19.768% below
Heat wave risk13County figure47.647% below
Median air quality index14County figure3323% below
Good air days14County figure94.2%38% above
08

Nelsonville in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 15% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 15% now.

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 rent$1,902/mo (2024)$2,410/mo$1,980 to $2,940/mo+4.0%
Median household income$153,750 (2024)$196,000$165,500 to $232,000+4.1%
Median home value$599,700 (2024)$827,000$600,000 to $1,139,000+5.5%
Population635 (2025)640620 to 670+0.3%

The median home would be worth 4.2 years of the median income in 2030, against 3.9 now.

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

09

Places like Nelsonville

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

PlaceRentIncome
Midland Park, NJ$1,853$146,841Compare
Franklin Town, MA$1,899$145,773Compare
Elmhurst, IL$1,975$149,644Compare
Sandy Hook, CT$1,866$160,814Compare
Sandy Hook, CTElmhurst, ILFranklin Town, MAMidland Park, NJNelsonville, NYNelsonvilleMidland ParkElmhurstMidland ParkElmhurst

Common questions

Is Nelsonville a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Half the homes were built before 1938, older housing than in 97% of the 2,479 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 338 New York places. Owning with a mortgage costs about $1,190 a month more than the median rent, a wider gap than in 91% of places its size. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Nelsonville expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 14.8% 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 $599,700.

What salary do you need to live in Nelsonville?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $76,080 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Nelsonville?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Midland Park, NJ, Franklin Town, MA, Elmhurst, IL and Sandy Hook, CT.

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. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  8. 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.
  9. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  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); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

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

Citytistics. “Nelsonville, New York.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/nelsonville-new-york/

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