What it's like to live in Mount Kisco
Mount Kisco is a small city in New York with county unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, air quality that stays clean most of the year, and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Mount Kisco deals with home prices well above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, cold winters, and snowy winters.
The good
- Low unemployment in the county
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Clean air
- Highly educated workforce
- Low student-teacher ratio
- Public transit that many commuters use
The not so good
- High home prices
- Above-average commute times
- Cold winters
- Snowy winters — 40" per year
- Above-average rainfall
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Mount Kisco compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Mount Kisco
Based on Mount Kisco's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,988
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $59,760 a year
- 44% of Mount Kisco renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$95,660
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $47,830
- Homes cost 5.0× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,494/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,494 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices are steep, with a median around $478,300. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $478,300 · 44% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
3.4% county unemployment
Unemployment in Westchester County is 3.4%, a little below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Westchester County (county-wide)
Safety
12 violent crimes per 100k, whole jurisdiction
Mount Kisco doesn't have its own police department, so there's no crime rate for it alone. The figures shown are for the Westchester Public Safety County Sheriff's Office jurisdiction as a whole, which runs below the national average for violent crime and covers many communities. Individual neighborhoods can differ a lot from that overall rate.
Property crime 129/100k · Policed by Westchester Public Safety County Sheriff's Office (county-wide rate) · 2024 data
Getting around▲ 26% above US
33 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 32.7 minute average means plenty of commuters are pushing 45 to 60 minutes on a bad day. Proximity to work matters more here than it might elsewhere. 6 in 10 workers drive to work; 10% take public transit; 22% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 81°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 19°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 5.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 60% above US
58% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.
Schools
1 public school inside the boundary
There is 1 public school inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 13:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Weir Farm National Historical Park (15 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Mount Kisco's strongest points are county unemployment below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are home prices well above the national average and commute times longer than most cities. A year of median rent ($1,494/mo) equals 19% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit job seekers (county-wide unemployment is low), remote workers (22% of workers here already work from home), and people who would rather not drive. It may be a harder fit for people who dread long commutes.
Other places near Mount Kisco
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