New Paltz is a somewhat small village located in the state of New York. With a population of 8,552 people and three associated neighborhoods, New Paltz is the 240th largest community in New York. Housing costs in New Paltz are among some of the highest in the nation, although real estate prices here don't compare to real estate prices in the most expensive communities in New York.New Paltz is a decidedly white-collar village, with fully 90.34% of the workforce employed in white-collar jobs, well above the national average. Overall, New Paltz is a village of professionals, sales and office workers, and service providers. There are especially a lot of people living in New Paltz who work in sales jobs (16.98%), food service (11.15%), and management occupations (10.21%). Of important note, New Paltz is also a village of artists. New Paltz has more artists, designers and people working in media than 90% of the communities in America. This concentration of artists helps shape New Paltz’s character. One interesting thing about the economy is that relatively large numbers of people worked from their home: 12.71% of the workforce. While this number may seem small overall, as a fraction of the total workforce this is high compared to the rest of the county. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes. New Paltz is a small town where college students really create the town feel and character. So many small towns have lost population over the last 20-30 years that having the local college presence in the New Paltz area, with all of the energy of the students filling area dorms and apartments each fall, really helps New Paltz maintain a good economy. Do you have a 4-year college degree or graduate degree? If so, you may feel right at home in New Paltz. 69.83% of adults here have a 4-year degree or graduate degree, whereas the national average for all cities and towns is just 21.84%. The per capita income in New Paltz in 2022 was $23,922, which is low income relative to New York and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $95,688 for a family of four. However, New Paltz contains both very wealthy and poor people as well. New Paltz also has one of the higher rates of people living in poverty in the nation, with 36.37% of its population below the federal poverty line.New Paltz is an extremely ethnically-diverse village. The people who call New Paltz home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of New Paltz residents report their race to be White, followed by Asian. New Paltz also has a sizeable Hispanic population (people of Hispanic origin can be of any race). People of Hispanic or Latino origin account for 12.73% of the village’s residents. Important ancestries of people in New Paltz include Irish, Italian, German, English, and Russian. The most common language spoken in New Paltz is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and Polish.
