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Cost of living, pay and housing

42.02° N · 74.09° W · GEOID 3684187

Zena

Ulster County, New York · part of the Kingston, NY metro

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

New YorkZena, NYZenaZena

The short answer

Zena is home to 997 people. Median household income is $154,250 a year and median rent is $1,425 a month, 11.1% 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 $484,800, about 3.1x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$1,425
4% above the median place
Median household income
$154,250
92% above the median place
Median home value
$484,800
52% above the median place
Unemployment
0.0%
below the median place (median 4.9%)

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 Zena

  • Unemployment averaged 0.0% over the survey period, lower than in 99% of the 1,242 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 267 New York places.
  • The median resident is 57.5 years old, older than in 97% of places its size. It is the 3rd-highest of 338 New York places.
  • The median rent takes only 11.1% of the median household's income, a smaller share than in 97% of places its size.
  • 95% of homes are owner-occupied, more than in 96% of places its size.
  • The median household earns $154,250 a year, more than in 91% 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 Zena

Ulster County gains about 2.0 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in7,283
Moved out7,004
Net+279

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Orange County, NY1,154909+245
Kings County, NY824380+444
New York County, NY412239+173
Greene County, NY190310−120
Queens County, NY258

Within New York, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within New YorkOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$113K
Leavers$80K

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

Who moves here
5.8% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 1.4% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Ulster County report $113,300 a year in income on average; those leaving, $79,600, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$57,000 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,425 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,853 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $484,800.
Getting to work
30 minutes each way on average; 24.3% work from home; 1.9% take transit.
If it is close but not quite
Tanque Verde, AZ matches it on character. Compare the two
Income of households moving in7
$113,328
61% above the median place
Moved from another state1
1.4%
29% below the median place
Income of households moving out7
$79,598
13% above the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureZenaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure5.8%1% above
Moved from another state1County figure1.4%29% below
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure2.0above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$113,32861% above
Income of households moving out7County figure$79,59813% above
02

What it costs to live here

Rent to income is 11.1%, 46% below the median place.

Zena11.1%
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
$57,000
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
11.1%
46% below the median place
Home price to income
3.1x
17% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
11%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$138,600
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Zena, $1,425 a month, and local prices for everything else (98.8 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 Zena.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Zena? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Homeownership1
95.0%
43% above the median place
Property tax paid (median)1
$7,784
138% above the median place
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$2,853
52% above the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureZenaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1County figure$1,4254% above
Rent to income111.1%46% below
Property tax rate11.6%77% above
Home price to income13.1x17% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure100.70% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,87816% above
HUD area median income4County figure$117,3009% above
Property tax paid (median)1$7,784138% above
Median home value1$484,80052% above
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure3.3%2% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure66.4%29% above
Homeownership195.0%43% above
Renters paying 30%+1County figure57.2%13% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,85352% above
Vacant homes1County figure14.1%100% above
Median year built119651% below
03

Work and pay

Unemployment is 0.0%, below the median place (median 4.9%).

Unemployment1
0.0%
below the median place (median 4.9%)
Median household income1
$154,250
92% above the median place
Works from home1
24.3%
95% above the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureZenaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$154,25092% above
Income per person1$62,47256% above
Unemployment10.0%below (median 4.9%)
Average annual pay6County figure$63,4214% below
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure3.7%0% above
Jobs6County figure60,55460% below
Poverty rate1County figure14.6%36% above
Mean commute130 min18% above
Works from home124.3%95% above
Commutes by transit1County figure1.9%127% 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%)
Median age1
57.5
47% above the median place
Homes with broadband1
98.1%
6% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Bachelor's or higher64.7% 2.0×
Household size2.4 −5%
High school or higher93.5% +1%
All 8 people measures
MeasureZenaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population19976646th largest
Median age157.547% above
Bachelor's or higher164.7%102% above
High school or higher193.5%1% above
Household size12.45% below
Born abroad1County figure8.1%8% below
No health insurance10.0%below (median 6.4%)
Homes with broadband198.1%6% above
05

Life in Zena

207 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 8 of them National Historic Landmarks.

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars30.3 +46%
Shops36.9 +22%
Arts, recreation and fitness10.4 2.5×
Doctors' offices and clinics17.2 −15%
Child care centers3.1 +35%

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

Students per teacher10
10.3
33% below the median place
Restaurants and bars per 10k8
30.3
46% above the median place
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8
10.4
154% above the median place
All 9 schools and local life measures
MeasureZenaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools10County figure42367% above
Public school students10County figure20,075310% above
Students per teacher10County figure10.333% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure30.346% above
Shops per 10k8County figure36.922% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure10.4154% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure17.215% below
Child care centers per 10k8County figure3.135% above
National Register listings9County figure207above (median 13)
06

Safety, weather and risk

July average high is 81°F, 6% below 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 Zena. Larger places are fetched first.

July average high11
81°F
6% below the median place
January average low11
16°F
38% below the median place
Average temperature11
48°F
13% below the median place
All 9 weather and risk measures
MeasureZenaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high11County figure81°F6% below
January average low11County figure16°F38% below
Average temperature11County figure48°F13% below
Annual precipitation11County figure50.8 in16% above
Natural hazard risk12County figure87.75% below
Hurricane risk12County figure86.923% above
Tornado risk12County figure87.68% above
Wildfire risk12County figure52.914% below
Heat wave risk12County figure66.326% below
08

Zena 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$154,250 (2024)$199,500$168,500 to $236,000+4.4%
Median home value$484,800 (2024)$721,000$524,000 to $994,000+6.8%

The median home would be worth 3.6 years of the median income in 2030, against 3.1 now.

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

09

Places like Zena

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

PlaceRentIncome
Tanque Verde, AZ$1,347$121,599Compare
North Star, DE$1,479$150,733Compare
Elkins Park, PA$1,606$129,852Compare
Margate City, NJ$1,347$121,800Compare
Margate City, NJElkins Park, PANorth Star, DETanque Verde, AZZena, NYZenaTanque VerdeNorth StarMargate CityZenaTanque VerdeNorth StarMargate City

Common questions

Is Zena a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Unemployment averaged 0.0% over the survey period, lower than in 99% of the 1,242 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 267 New York places. The median resident is 57.5 years old, older than in 97% of places its size. It is the 3rd-highest of 338 New York places. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Zena expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 11.1% 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 $484,800.

What salary do you need to live in Zena?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $57,000 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Zena?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Tanque Verde, AZ, North Star, DE, Elkins Park, PA and Margate City, NJ.

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. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  10. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  11. 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
  12. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps

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

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

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