What it's like to live in Sleepy Hollow

Sleepy Hollow is a small city in New York with county unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, and air quality that stays clean most of the year. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.

The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Sleepy Hollow deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, and cold winters.

The good

  • Low unemployment in the county
  • Higher-than-average incomes
  • Low crime rates
  • Clean air
  • Highly educated workforce
  • Fast-growing population

The not so good

  • Rent well above the national average
  • High home prices
  • Above-average commute times
  • Cold winters
  • Above-average rainfall

How Sleepy Hollow compares

Median household income

Sleepy Hollow$104,313
New York avg$85,974
US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Sleepy Hollow$1,924
New York avg$1,621
US$1,413

Median home value

Sleepy Hollow$746,800
New York avg$423,800
US$332,700

What it takes to move to Sleepy Hollow

Based on Sleepy Hollow's median rent, home value and household income

To rent

$3,848

up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit

  • Income to keep rent under 30%: $76,960 a year
  • 48% of Sleepy Hollow renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$149,360

a 20% down payment on the median home

  • With 10% down: $74,680
  • Homes cost 7.2× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of living▲ 36% above US

$1,924/mo median rent

Rent is expensive here, at $1,924 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices are steep, with a median around $746,800. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.

Median home value $746,800 · 48% 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▼ 100% below US

0 violent crimes per 100k

Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.

Property crime 268/100k · Sleepy Hollow Village Police Department · 2020 data

Getting around▲ 17% above US

30 min average commute

Traffic is a real factor here. The 30.3 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. 5 in 10 workers drive to work; 15% take public transit; 21% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone
42%
Work from home
21%
Public transit
15%
Carpool
10%
Walk
9.7%
Other
2.4%

Climate

Summers are warm, with highs around 83°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 25°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)
10°30°50°70°90°5"Jan: 3.87" precipitationFeb: 3.30" precipitationMar: 4.37" precipitationApr: 4.26" precipitationMay: 4.27" precipitationJun: 4.58" precipitationJul: 4.53" precipitationAug: 4.44" precipitationSep: 4.61" precipitationOct: 4.43" precipitationNov: 3.88" precipitationDec: 4.70" precipitation23°JJan: high 40°F, low 23°FFFeb: high 43°F, low 25°FMMar: high 51°F, low 31°FAApr: high 63°F, low 40°FMMay: high 73°F, low 50°FJJun: high 81°F, low 59°F86°JJul: high 86°F, low 64°FAAug: high 84°F, low 63°FSSep: high 77°F, low 56°FOOct: high 65°F, low 45°FNNov: high 54°F, low 36°FDDec: high 45°F, low 29°F

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Healthcare

1 hospital

There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 4.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.

Medicare-certified hospitals

Education & workforce▲ 20% above US

43% bachelor's degree or higher

The population is well-educated, with 43% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.

Schools

3 public schools inside the boundary

There are 3 public schools inside the boundary. 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 Saint Paul's Church National Historic Site (14 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

Sleepy Hollow's strongest points are county unemployment below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,924/mo) equals 22% 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), anyone prioritizing low crime, and remote workers (21% of workers here already work from home). It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.

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