What it's like to live in Newburgh
Newburgh is a small city in New York with home prices that remain within reach, air quality that stays clean most of the year, and schools with smaller class sizes than the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Newburgh deals with household incomes below the national average, crime rates above the national average, college degree attainment below the national average, and a poverty rate above the national average.
The good
- Affordable home prices
- Clean air
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Crime above national average
- Low college degree attainment
- High poverty rate
- High rent burden for renters
- Cold winters
How Newburgh compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Newburgh
Based on Newburgh's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,908
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $58,160 a year
- 54% of Newburgh renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$49,580
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $24,790
- Homes cost 4.4× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,454/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,454 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $247,900. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $247,900 · 54% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 14% above US
4.9% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.9%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 155% above US
838 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is a real factor here, with violent rates significantly above the national average. That doesn't make the whole city a write-off, but it does mean specific neighborhoods deserve real research before signing a lease.
Property crime 1545/100k · Newburgh Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
26 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 25.5 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 5% take public transit; 9% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 82°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 2.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 45% below US
20% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a working-class city, and college degree rates reflect that. Trades, manufacturing, and service industries tend to dominate the local economy, which is a strength for some fields and a real constraint for others.
Schools
4 public schools inside the boundary
There are 4 public schools inside the boundary and 2 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 12:1, 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 Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site (19 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Newburgh's strongest points are home prices that remain within reach and air quality that stays clean most of the year; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and crime rates above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,454/mo) equals 31% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. Whether it fits comes down to the specifics: the neighborhood, the job, and what matters most in the move.
Other places near Newburgh
All New York guides →Moving to Myers Corner →
9 mi away · pop. 10,877
Rent $1,610/mo · Income $105,718
Compare with Newburgh →Moving to Kiryas Joel →
14 mi away · pop. 38,916
Rent $1,604/mo · Income $50,032
Compare with Newburgh →Not sure Newburgh is the one?
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