OUT OF 2023

REACH
 FOREWARD
Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress and its Center for Housing Solutions & Community
Initiatives have analyzed rental housing and wage data for more than a decade. Our reports
on housing trends help lawmakers, nonprofit agencies, developers, and other stakeholders
in their efforts to provide housing that is affordable in the region.

Our annual Out of Reach (OOR) report examines the affordability of rental housing
throughout the nine counties we serve: Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Orange, Putnam,
Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester. This report is largely based on data published
annually by the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC), which compares fair-
market rents (FMR) with average renter wages.

This year’s report continues to underscore an irrefutable truth: even with long work hours or
multiple jobs, most renters in our region struggle to pay for rent and modest living costs.
Over the past five years, rents across our region have increased by anywhere between 25-
45%. With inflation hitting a 40-year peak in 2022, the basic costs of living – food,
transportation, healthcare, and more – are also out of reach.

Income data trends over the past decade indicate that labor is undervalued throughout
the United States. Since 2010, members of the working class nationwide saw their wages
rise at half the rate of the highest earners. This trend is generally worse in the Hudson
Valley, where lower income workers have seen their earnings decline or stagnate while our
highest earners have seen their income rise by up to 26 percent.

Wage stagnation in our lower income brackets paired with skyrocketing housing and living
costs have created an affordability crisis with devastating consequences for our
hardworking neighbors and our entire region. Earlier this year, Pattern released "The Great
People Shortage and its Effects on the Hudson Valley," which found that our region has lost
a net of more than 130,000 people to migration since 1996. More people have moved out of
the Hudson Valley than into it for 24 of the last 25 years. A national survey by the U.S.
Census Bureau found the top reasons cited for leaving New York State were housing-
related: more affordable and higher quality housing, or the opportunity to buy a home
elsewhere.

The solutions to our affordability crisis are not simple, and they cannot focus on one corner
of our civic structure alone. State and federal governments must work to ensure that our
hardworking neighbors are compensated fairly. To meet the demand for housing, state and
local governments must adopt significant changes to land-use and housing policies that
support the kind of development that is affordable for our residents. These efforts must
include deeply affordable rentals as well as new opportunities for homeownership; many
tenants are paying more in rent than they would on monthly mortgage payments, but
traditional pathways to homeownership are unviable due to prices that have far outpaced
incomes.

Amid these challenges, many local organizations, developers, and businesses are
implementing new models that prioritize wellbeing and improve the quality of life for low-
and moderate-income residents. We hope that Out of Reach compels others in the
Hudson Valley to consider their neighbors who struggle through the stress of high rents
and low wages. We also hope this report compels our civic leaders to act on policies that
improve the quality of life in the Hudson Valley by making it more affordable and equitable
for the 2.5 million people who call the region home.

Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress 1

Center for Housing Solutions & Community Initiatives
 METHODOLOGY & GLOSSARY OF TERMS
The National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) released its annual Out of
Reach (OOR) report in July 2023. The nationwide OOR report demonstrates that
renters across the country are not making enough to afford rent or the overall cost
of living – a trend that has continued for many years. Pattern has synthesized NLIHC
data to illustrate how these trends manifest uniquely in the Hudson Valley. We also
analyzed regionwide median sale prices to demonstrate that homeownership, too,
is out of reach for most Hudson Valley residents. Analysis in this report relies on the
following data points:

Hourly Wage: This is the average hourly wage that renters make in each county. These
estimated values are calculated by NLIHC based on data reported by the Bureau of Labor
Statistics (BLS) in its Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages. For more information on
how these values are calculated, please view Appendix B of the 2023 NLIHC OOR Report.

Housing Wage: This is the hourly wage a renter would need to earn to afford Fair Market
Rent while spending no more than 30% of their income on housing.

Rent Gap: The Rent Gap is the difference between fair market rental costs and rents that
would be affordable to an average renter considering each county's Hourly Wage. We
calculate affordable rents according to the industry-wide assumption that no individual
should spend more than 30% of their monthly income on housing, and that the common
standard for a full-time job is 40 hours per week.

Fair
The Market
number Fair
Rent:you
of people Market
have Rent
reached (FMR) is the average rent paid by the 40th percentile
of renters who have moved within the past two years. This value is calculated annually by
the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to guide the department’s
allocations for housing assistance. FMR is not the same as average rent, which would be
The influential people in your network
the 50th percentile of all rental amounts. FMR values convey rent prices below average
market rate.

Wage
The Gap:
number This is
of times youthe gap
have between
shared the
content annual salary needed to afford a minimum
baseline standard of living and the average annual renter salary. While the Rent Gap
relates solely to housing costs, the Wage Gap demonstrates what a minimum living wage
would
The look
number like in
of users each
who ofseen
have the your
ninepost
counties we serve.

Income Quintiles: Quintiles illustrate the distribution of income across the entire
population by showing the average earnings for five groups with an equal number of
How much in
earners interaction each We
each group. post rely
generated
on quintiles to examine income changes over time among
segments of our population, and to illustrate the growing divide between our lowest and
highest income brackets.

Purchase Gap: The Purchase Gap indicates the level of affordability for middle-income
Engagement each post generated
households looking to buy a home. This calculation is the difference between estimated
mortgages for which households at 100% AMI would qualify and the actual cost of a
mortgage at median home sale prices.

Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress 2

Center for Housing Solutions & Community Initiatives
 HUDSON VALLEY WAGES
DON’T PAY RENT
Looking strictly at average wages over the past five years, one might conclude that working
renters are better off than they were a few years ago. Since 2019, the average hourly wage for
renters has increased in every county across the region, even when adjusting for inflation. This
increase ranges from $0.63 per hour in Columbia County to $4.09 per hour in Westchester, as
shown in the table below.

A deeper look, however, reveals that the increase in average renter wages is not an indicator of
improvement. Despite the increase, average wages continue to lag behind the cost of living, as
shown in the table on the next page. The gap between wages and cost of living can be
demonstrated by calculating the Housing Wage, which is the hourly wage needed to afford Fair
Market Rents, assuming renters work 40 hours per week and spend 30% of their income on
housing. In all nine counties, the average renter wage is lower than the Housing Wage, which is
the wage needed to afford rent. For example, for a single earner in a one-bedroom rental, the
hourly wage gap is as high as $23.99 in Putnam County and $25.82 in Rockland County.

Wage Trends: 2019-2023

$ Change % Change
2019
2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2019-2023 2019-2023
(in 2023 $)
(inflation adj.) (inflation adj.)
Columbia $11.08 $10.68 $11.35 $13.22 $13.80 $13.17 $0.63 5%
Dutchess $13.72 $13.64 $13.79 $17.47 $18.32 $16.31 $2.01 12%
Greene $8.70 $8.66 $9.01 $10.89 $12.08 $10.34 $1.74 17%
Orange $11.10 $11.58 $11.99 $14.70 $15.62 $13.19 $2.43 18%
Putnam $12.37 $12.45 $13.79 $17.73 $17.74 $14.70 $3.04 21%
Rockland $10.98 $11.53 $12.14 $14.76 $15.91 $13.05 $2.86 22%
Sullivan $11.30 $11.61 $11.56 $15.26 $15.48 $13.43 $2.05 15%
Ulster $10.35 $10.81 $11.41 $13.78 $14.50 $12.30 $2.20 18%
Westchester $19.01 $19.27 $19.45 $24.42 $26.69 $22.59 $4.09 18%

Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress 3

Center for Housing Solutions & Community Initiatives
 2023 Wage Gaps by County
Hourly Housing Housing
Wage Gap Wage Gap
Renter Wage Wage Wage
1BR FMR 2BR FMR
Rate 1BR FMR 2BR FMR
Columbia $13.80 $18.31 $21.29 -$4.51 -$7.49
Dutchess $18.32 $23.71 $30.44 -$5.40 -$12.13
Greene $12.08 $17.90 $21.60 -$5.83 -$9.52
Orange $15.62 $23.71 $30.44 -$8.09 -$14.82
Putnam $17.74 $41.73 $47.13 -$23.99 -$29.40
Rockland $15.91 $41.73 $47.13 -$25.82 -$31.23
Sullivan $15.48 $16.12 $19.38 -$0.64 -$3.91
Ulster $14.50 $22.21 $28.81 -$7.71 -$14.30
Westchester $26.69 $32.10 $39.02 -$5.41 -$12.33

2023 Hourly Vs. Housing Wages by County

Hourly Renter Wage Rate Housing Wage for 1BR FMR
Housing Wage for 2BR FMR

$50

$40

$30

$20

$10

$0
Columbia Dutchess Greene Orange Putnam Rockland Sullivan Ulster Westchester

Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress 4

Center for Housing Solutions & Community Initiatives
 Annual Wage Gap
Renter Annual To afford To afford
1 BR FMR Gap 2 BR FMR Gap
Wage 1 BR FMR 2 BR FMR
Columbia $28,698 $38,080 $44,280 -$9,382 -$15,582
Dutchess $38,096 $49,320 $63,320 -$11,224 -$25,224
Greene $25,121 $37,240 $44,920 -$12,119 -$19,799
Orange $32,490 $49,320 $63,320 -$16,830 -$30,830
Putnam $36,896 $86,800 $98,040 -$49,904 -$61,144
Rockland $33,086 $86,800 $98,040 -$53,714 -$64,954
Sullivan $32,190 $33,520 $40,320 -$1,330 -$8,130
Ulster $30,167 $46,200 $59,920 -$16,033 -$29,753
Westchester $55,507 $66,760 $81,160 -$11,253 -$25,653

The Housing Wage indicates not only the affordability of rental housing, but also a worker’s
ability to afford essentials such as transportation, groceries, and other bills. To calculate the
Annual Wage Gap, we multiply the hourly Housing Wage by the annual number of hours that
constitute a full-time job (2080 hours). In doing so, we gain a broader sense of the gap
between wages and the overall cost of living. While the Rent Gap focuses strictly on housing,
the Annual Wage Gap shows more broad impacts of high living costs and low wages. The
Wage Gap becomes even more severe when considering the cost of children or other
dependents, the need for savings, or funds for unexpected expenses like fixing a car or a trip to
the emergency room.
In most cases, renters navigate low wages by working significantly more than what our society
considers to be normal or healthy. While working "full-time" is commonly known to mean 40
hours per week, the U.S. Department of Labor does not define full-time work (Fair Labor
Standards Act, U.S. DOL). This means there is no legal limit on the number of hours per week a
person can work. The table below shows how many hours and full-time jobs the average
renter would need to afford rent. In all nine counties, more than 40 hours of work per week
are necessary to afford FMR for the average worker.
Hours and Jobs needed at average renter wage
To Afford 1BR FMR To Afford 2BR FMR
Hours per week Jobs Needed Hours per week Jobs Needed
Dutchess 52 1.3 66 1.7
Greene 59 1.5 72 1.8
Orange 61 1.5 78 1.9
Putnam 94 2.4 106 2.7
Rockland 105 2.6 119 3.0
Sullivan 42 1.0 50 1.3
Ulster 61 1.5 79 2.0
Westchester 48 1.2 58 1.5

Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress 5

Center for Housing Solutions & Community Initiatives

 THE RENT GAP
The Rent Gap is the difference between Fair Market Rents and the monthly rent that working
renters can afford with average wages. This indicator illustrates the portion of housing costs that
are beyond affordability for average working renters. The table below includes the Monthly Rent
Gap for single working renters living in one-bedroom or two-bedroom homes. Rents are
considered affordable if they are no more than 30% of monthly income. The chart below then
shows a comparison of rents that working adults can afford and the actual FMR values. In all
counties, FMR values for one- and two-bedroom homes exceed the amount of rent the average
working renter can afford.

2023 Rent Gaps By County

Monthly Rent Monthly Monthly
Affordable at Avg 1BR FMR 2BR FMR Rent Gap Rent Gap
Renter Wage 1BR FMR 2BR FMR
Columbia $717 $952 $1,107 -$235 -$390
Dutchess $952 $1,233 $1,583 -$281 -$631
Greene $628 $931 $1,123 -$303 -$495
Orange $812 $1,233 $1,583 -$421 -$771
Putnam $922 $2,170 $2,451 -$1,248 -$1,529
Rockland $827 $2,170 $2,451 -$1,343 -$1,624
Sullivan $805 $838 $1,008 -$33 -$203
Ulster $754 $1,155 $1,498 -$401 -$744
Westchester $1,388 $1,669 $2,029 -$281 -$641

2023 Affordable Rent vs. Fair Market Rents

Monthly Rent Affordable at Renter Wage Rate 1BR FMR 2BR FMR

$2,500

$2,000

$1,500

$1,000

$500

$0
Columbia Dutchess Greene Orange Putnam Rockland Sullivan Ulster Westchester

Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress 6

Center for Housing Solutions & Community Initiatives
 Monthly Rent Gap Trends (2 BR FMR): 2019-2023

$ Change %Change $ Change % Change

2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
2022-2023 2022-2023 2019-2023 2019-2023

Columbia $360 $410 $438 $326 $391 $65 20% $30.54 8%

Dutchess $632 $688 $750 $505 $632 $127 25% -$0.41 0%
Greene $504 $518 $578 $465 $496 $31 7% -$8.02 -2%
Orange $769 $795 $844 $649 $772 $123 19% $2.76 0%
Putnam $1,188 $1,304 $1,336 $1,419 $1,530 $111 8% $341.60 29%
Rockland $1,260 $1,351 $1,422 $1,573 $1,625 $51 3% $364.84 29%
Sullivan $376 $396 $431 $194 $204 $10 5% -$171.75 -46%
Ulster $672 $653 $703 $648 $745 $96 15% $72.83 11%
Westchester $786 $973 $932 $614 $642 $28 5% -$143.68 -18%

$2,000

Rockland

$1,500 Putnam

$1,000

Orange
Ulster
Westchester
Dutchess
$500 Greene

Columbia

Sullivan

$0
2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress 7

Center for Housing Solutions & Community Initiatives

 2023 Rent Gap for 2 Working Adults in 2 BR FMR
Annual Renter
Annual
Wage for 2 Renters Annual Wage Monthly Wage
Wage Gap
Based on 40 Hour to Afford 2BR Gap
(per person)
Workweek FMR
Columbia $57,397 $44,280 $6,558 $547
Dutchess $76,193 $63,320 $6,436 $536
Greene $50,242 $44,920 $2,661 $222
Orange $64,979 $63,320 $830 $69
Putnam $73,792 $98,040 -$12,124 -$1,010
Rockland $66,173 $98,040 -$15,934 -$1,328
Sullivan $64,380 $40,320 $12,030 $1,002
Ulster $60,334 $59,920 $207 $17
Westchester $111,015 $81,160 $14,927 $1,244

The table above and the chart below illustrate the Rent Gap for two working adults sharing a
2-Bedroom unit (amount shown is per person). In Putnam and Rockland, roommates and
couples still cannot afford a two-bedroom rental at FMR. In other counties, even when both
tenants work full time, the Rent Gap does not leave much of a buffer for unexpected
expenditures or long-term savings, such as in Ulster County. These gaps also do not account
for expenses associated with dependents; a two-bedroom rental at FMR might be affordable
to a working couple, but would be unaffordable if that couple had children or an elderly
parent living with them.

$1,500

$1,000

$500

$0

$-500

$-1,000

$-1,500
Columbia Dutchess Greene Orange Putnam Rockland Sullivan Ulster Westchester

Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress 8

Center for Housing Solutions & Community Initiatives

 RENTS ARE OUTPACING WAGES
Housing Wages and Rent Gaps are two strong indicators of housing affordability. Another way to
demonstrate the degree of affordability is by looking at the rates of change for housing costs
compared to wages from year to year. Through this lens, we can see that rent increases have
outpaced wage increases since last year. In six of nine counties throughout the Hudson Valley,
the rate of increase of Fair Market Rents surpassed the rate of increase of average tenant wages.
For example, in Dutchess County, rents increased by 12% while average tenant wages increased
by 5% since last year.

In the remaining three counties, tenants would still need a sizeable wage increase to afford rent
and the overall cost of living, because previous-year wages were already low. For example, in
Rockland County, wages increased by 8% while rents only increased by 5%; however, wages
would still need to increase by 62% for a single earner to afford a 1-BR home.

Monthly Renter Wages Monthly Rents- 2 BR FMR

$ change
2022 2023 2022 2023 $ change
2022-2023
Columbia $2,291 $2,392 $100 $1,012 $1,107 $ 95
Dutchess $3,028 $3,175 $147 $1,412 $1,583 $171
Greene $1,888 $2,093 $206 $1,030 $1,123 $111
Orange $2,548 $2,707 $159 $1,412 $1,583 $171
Putnam $3,073 $3,075 $ 1 $2,340 $2,451 $111
Rockland $2,558 $2,757 $199 $2,340 $2,451 $111
Sullivan $2,645 $2,682 $ 37 $987 $1,008 $ 21
Ulster $2,389 $59,920 $125 $1,364 $1,498 $134
Westchester $4,233 $4,626 $393 $1,883 $2,029 $146

Rate of Change Comparison

Additional Wage Additional Wage
Wage Increase Rent Increase
Increase Needed to Increase Needed to
2022-2023 2022-2023
afford 1BR afford 2BR
Columbia 4% 9% 25% 54%
Dutchess 5% 12% 23% 66%
Greene 11% 9% 33% 79%
Orange 6% 12% 34% 95%
Putnam 0% 5% 57% 166%
Rockland 8% 5% 62% 196%
Sullivan 1% 2% 4% 25%
Ulster 5% 10% 35% 99%
Westchester 9% 8% 17% 46%
Source: NLIHC, 2023

Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress 9

Center for Housing Solutions & Community Initiatives

 AREA MEDIAN INCOME (AMI)
MISSES THE MARK ON AFFORDABILITY
The affordable housing industry relies on the Area Median Income (AMI) to determine housing
assistance allocations for different income levels. Often, subsidized affordable housing projects
will target households making 60% or 80% of AMI. These thresholds fail to provide housing for
the majority of working renters.

The chart below shows the average income of renters in each county as a percentage of
countywide median income in 2022 and 2023. Across the region, average renter income ranges
from 39%-61% of the AMI. While AMI is calculated according to an aggregate of renter and
owner incomes, renters have significantly lower income levels than owners. Accordingly, to
better reflect the economic standing of renting households, policymakers who focus on
subsidized affordable rental housing should consider calculating AMI based on renter
households, exclusive of householders who already own their homes.
% AMI of Average Renter in 2023 % AMI of Average Renter in 2022

75%

50%

25%

0%
Columbia Dutchess Greene Orange Putnam Rockland Sullivan Ulster Westchester
Source: NLIHC, 2023 and HUD 2023

Since last year, there has been a slight increase in the average income levels for renters in
most counties. As with the increase in average wages described earlier in this report, the
increase in income levels does not indicate an overall improvement in quality of life for
renters. Instead, it can likely be explained by a growing number of renters with higher income
levels. With fewer middle-class renters able to purchase starter homes, our renting population
is growing.

Since 2010, according to the U.S. Census, there has been an 8% increase in the number of
renting households versus a 2% increase in the number of owner-occupied households
regionwide. This trend is not even across the region. For example, in Greene and Sullivan
counties, there was a decrease in the total number of households, with a greater decrease in
renter households than owner-occupied households.
2010 2021 # Change % Change
Total Households 854,191 888,468 34,277 4%
Owner-Occupied Households 581,407 592,631 11,224 2%
Renter-Occupied Households 272,784 295,837 23,053 8%
Source: U.S. Census, 2010,2021

Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress 10

Center for Housing Solutions & Community Initiatives
THE RENTER-OWNER RATIO BY COUNTY
TOTAL HOUSEHOLDS
2010 2021 # Change % Change
Columbia 25,686 25,167 -519 -2%
Dutchess 106,952 111,735 4,783 4%
Greene 18,502 17,451 -1,051 -6%
Orange 124,379 132,880 8,501 7%
Putnam 34,907 34,651 -256 -1%
Rockland 97,557 102,161 4,604 5%
Sullivan 29,722 28,816 -906 -3%
Ulster 70,691 71,194 503 1%
Westchester 345,795 364,413 18,618 5%

OWNER OCCUPIED
2010 2021 # Change % Change
Columbia 18,804 18,332 -472 -3%
Dutchess 75,478 76,956 1,478 2%
Greene 13,620 13,438 -182 -1%
Orange 88,633 91,534 2,901 3%
Putnam 29,543 28,854 689 -2%
Rockland 69,300 69,559 259 0%
Sullivan 20,073 19,948 -125 -1%
Ulster 49,203 49,479 276 1%
Westchester 216,753 224,531 7,778 4%

RENTER OCCUPIED
2010 2021 # Change % Change
Columbia 6,882 6,835 -47 -1%
Dutchess 31,474 34,779 3,305 11%
Greene 4,882 4,013 -869 -18%
Orange 35,746 41,346 5,600 16%
Putnam 5,364 5,797 433 8%
Rockland 28,257 32,602 4,345 15%
Sullivan 9,649 8,868 -781 -8%
Ulster 21,488 21,715 227 1%
Westchester 129,042 139,882 10,840 8%

Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress 11

Center for Housing Solutions & Community Initiatives

 Out Of Reach: Homeownership
The disproportionate regionwide increase in renter-occupied homes can be attributed to a
variety of factors. Most subsidies, PILOTs (payments in lieu of taxes), and other incentives are
designated for multifamily rental developments. Furthermore, according to a recent study, one in
four single-family homes are now being acquired by investors as assets to rent. While the housing
market has historically been a vehicle for personal and generational wealth, fewer and fewer
householders are able to purchase homes. The ownership of more homes by investors and
corporations instead concentrates those equity gains into the hands of fewer people over time.

To demonstrate the degree to which homeownership is out of reach, we calculated the

Homeownership Gap based on the estimated mortgage for which households earning Area
Median Income (AMI) in each county would qualify. To perform this analysis, we used the HUD-
adjusted income levels for one-person and two-person households.[1] The mortgage estimate is
based on:
an escrow payment for property taxes of $650 per month,
insurance payment of $90 per month,
a 7% interest rate on a 30-year loan term.

The chart below and the tables on the next page demonstrate that the majority of households in
the Hudson Valley would be unable to afford to purchase a home in 2023. With this large of a gap
between earnings and the cost of a home, it is no wonder that more of our neighbors are
persisting in rentals without moving into homeownership.

Comparing Median Sales Prices to Attainable Mortgages

Mortgage for Single Household at AMI Mortgage for 2-Person Household at AMI
Mortgage Needed to Afford Median

$750,000

$500,000

$250,000

$0
Columbia Dutchess Greene Orange Putnam Rockland Sullivan Ulster Westchester
Source: NYSAR Q 2 2023 and HUD. 2023

[1] Common AMI levels are for median 4-person households. We used HUD adjustments for 1- and 2-person households
to better reflect the average renting household as a prospective homebuyer.

Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress 12

Center for Housing Solutions & Community Initiatives

Calculating the Homeownership Purchase Gap
Mortgage for Mortgage for
1-HH AMI Single Household 2-HH AMI 2-Person
at AMI Household at AMI

Columbia $65,800 $136,028 $75,200 $171,351

Dutchess $83,300 $201,788 $95,200 $246,504
Greene $58,600 $108,973 $66,900 $140,1612
Orange $83,300 $201,788 $95,200 $246,504
Putnam $98,900 $260,408 $113,000 $313,391
Rockland $98,900 $260,408 $113,000 $313,391
Sullivan $56,900 $102,585 $65,000 $133,022
Ulster $71,200 $156,320 $81,300 $194,273
Westchester $102,800 $275,063 $117,500 $330,301

Q2 2023 6% Down Mortgage Mortgage Gap for Median

Median Sale Payment for Needed to
Single 2 Person
Price (NYSAR) Median Afford Median
Householder Household
Columbia $450,000 $27,000 $423,000 -$286,972 -$251,649

Dutchess $414,000 $24,840 $389,160 -$187,372 -$142,656

Greene $346,000 $20,760 $325,240 -$216,267 -$185,078

Orange $395,000 $23,700 $371,300 -$169,512 -$124,796

Putnam $450,000 $27,000 $423,000 -$162,592 -$109,609

Rockland $588,000 $35,280 $552,720 -$292,312 -$239,329

Sullivan $275,000 $16,500 $258,500 -$155,915 -$125,478

Ulster $400,000 $24,000 $376,000 -$219,680 -$181,727

Westchester $650,000 $39,000 $611,000 -$335,937 -$280,699

Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress 13

Center for Housing Solutions & Community Initiatives

 QUINTILES ILLUSTRATE GROWING DISPARITIES

Considering the extent of the Homeownership

Purchase Gap, the pathway to homeownership NEW YORK STATE
is shut down for too many of our neighbors. The
rift between owners and renters is expanding. $ %
2010 2021
Change Change
We use income quintiles to demonstrate that
the word on the street is true: the rich are Lowest $13,684 $14,054 $370 3%
getting richer, and the poor are getting poorer.
The numbers validate that it is becoming Second $38,077 $42,220 $4,143 11%
increasingly difficult for low-, moderate-, and
middle-income earners to afford life in the Third $66,645 $75,647 $9,002 14%
Hudson Valley. The highest earners, by contrast,
Fourth $106,499 $123,318 $16,819 16%
are seeing greater increases in wealth. As rents
have increased, the fact that renter wages have Highest $252,736 $302,676 $49,940 20%
not increased relative to all earners means that
their financial stress is especially high. Top 5 % $474,998 $574,063 $99,065 21%
Source: U.S. Census, 2010 (inflation adjusted), 2021

COLUMBIA COUNTY DUTCHESS COUNTY

$ % $ %
2010 2021 2010 2021
Change Change Change Change

Lowest Quintile $17,283 $17,037 -$246 -1% $19,957 $18,690 -$1,267 -6%

Second Quintile $40,929 $43,325 $2,396 6% $51,290 $51,246 -$44 0%

Third Quintile $66,476 $73,879 $7,403 11% $83,007 $87,726 $4,719 6%

Fourth Quintile $103,201 $116,005 $12,804 12% $121,787 $134,697 $12,910 11%

Highest Quintile $235,932 $255,426 $19,494 8% $233,478 $284,568 $51,090 22%

Top 5 Percent $468,119 $466,367 -$1,752 0% $381,215 $498,070 $116,855 31%

GREENE COUNTY ORANGE COUNTY

$ % $ %
2010 2021 2010 2021
Change Change Change Change

Lowest Quintile $14,810 $14,356 -$454 -3% $20,017 $17,523 -$2,494 -12%

Second Quintile $34,696 $36,127 $1,431 4% $50,747 $49,914 -$833 -2%

Third Quintile $55,003 $62,663 $7,660 14% $83,257 $86,264 $3,007 4%

Fourth Quintile $81,045 $97,386 $16,341 20% $123,352 $132,17 $8,820 7%

Highest Quintile $167,657 $206,349 $38,692 23% $221,505 $259,078 $37,573 17%

Top 5 Percent $288,296 $341,200 $52,904 18% $340,416 $428,700 $88,284 26%

Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress 14

Center for Housing Solutions & Community Initiatives

 PUTNAM COUNTY ROCKLAND COUNTY
$ % %
2010 2021 2010 2021 $ Change
Change Change Change
Lowest Quintile $27,947 $27,114 -$833 -3% $22,034 $20,082 -$1,952 -9%

Second Quintile $68,367 $69,296 $929 1% $58,107 $56,502 -$1,605 -3%

Third Quintile $106,100 $111,011 $4,911 5% $98,708 $100,386 $1,678 2%

Fourth Quintile $151,802 $160,410 $8,608 6% $149,673 $158,747 $9,074 6%

Highest Quintile $289,766 $315,931 $26,165 9% $298,138 $323,589 $25,451 9%

Top 5 Percent $482,952 $534,592 $51,640 11% $491,173 $551,177 $60,004 12%

SULLIVAN COUNTY ULSTER COUNTY

$ % $ %
2010 2021 2010 2021
Change Change Change Change
Lowest Quintile $12,902 $13,670 $768 6% $17,166 $14,930 -$2,236 -13%

Second Quintile $33,655 $36,888 $3,233 10% $42,326 $41,599 -$727 -2%

Third Quintile $57,366 $62,972 $5,606 10% $68,856 $71,757 $2,901 4%

Fourth Quintile $87,275 $98,874 $11,599 13% $103,348 $114,479 $11,131 11%

Highest Quintile $168,906 $213,662 $44,756 26% $204,540 $239,458 $34,918 17%

Top 5 Percent $271,898 $361,782 $89,884 33% $340,592 $406,653 $66,061 19%

WESTCHESTER COUNTY UNITED STATES

$ % $ %
2010 2021 2010 2021
Change Change Change Change

Lowest Quintile $20,501 $19,613 -$888 -4% $14,149 $15,091 $941 7%

Second Quintile $54,864 $59,295 $4,431 8% $36,930 $41,089 $4,159 11%

Third Quintile $95,008 $105,873 $10,865 11% $61,986 $69,508 $7,522 12%

Fourth Quintile $156,013 $176,798 $20,785 13% $96,706 $109,673 $12,967 13%

Highest Quintile $435,033 $467,404 $32,371 7% $211,468 $250,618 $39,150 19%

Top 5 Percent $868,047 $885,601 $17,554 2% $374,481 $453,167 $78,686 21%

Note: All income amounts in the charts above are inflation-adjusted to 2021 dollars.

Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress 15

Center for Housing Solutions & Community Initiatives

Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress is a nonprofit
organization that provides objective research, planning
and educational training throughout the region. Its work
identifies civic challenges and promotes regional,
equitable, and sustainable solutions to constantly
improve the quality of life in Hudson Valley
communities. Pattern develops its work upon a
considerable foundation of facts and experience,
without political aims or affiliations.

Pattern was founded in 1965 by the region's academic,

business, and nonprofit leaders. Our work focuses on
housing, community and urban planning, downtown
revitalization, infrastructure, transportation,
demographic change, and more. We serve the counties
of Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Orange, Putnam,
Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester.

The Center for Housing Solutions & Community

Initiatives was created by Pattern in 2012 to promote
the regional significance of diverse housing through
research, planning, and policy recommendations. We
utilize our housing expertise in collaboration with public
and private partners to create a positive impact for the
Hudson Valley. Our research, technical assistance,
planning, and innovative policy solutions have helped
dozens of communities throughout the region learn
about their housing needs and act to meet those needs.

Contact us:
(845) 565-4900
www.Pattern-for-Progress.org

@PatternforProgress @HVPattern

@ Pattern for Progress @PatternforProgress