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Living in
Kiryas Joel.
About
Life in Kiryas Joel
This is a deeply insular, religiously cohesive community where daily life revolves around Orthodox Jewish practice and tradition—it's not a place you move to for secular reasons. Nearly everyone speaks Yiddish at home, about 91% of households are married couples, and 77% have children under 18, so the entire social fabric is built around family and faith. Housing costs are surprisingly reasonable for the Hudson Valley region, with median home values around $759,000 and rent averaging $1,604 monthly, though you'll find the village extremely dense at over 11,000 people per square mile.
Kiryas Joel at a Glance
Population, income, housing and more
Median Age
15.7 yrs
Poverty Rate
37.6%
Foreign-Born
5.3%
Broadband Internet
22.6%
of households
Population Growth
+43.1%
recent change · Census Bureau
Median household income
Demographics5.3% foreign-born, most often from Israel
Who lives in Kiryas Joel: race and ethnicity, ages, households, languages and countries of origin
In Kiryas Joel, the largest foreign-born group is from Israel (41.4%), and 89.0% of residents speak German/Germanic at home.
Under 18
55.2%
of residents
65 and Older
2.4%
of residents
Households with Kids
80.5%
anyone under 18
Married Couples
93.4%
of households
Avg Household Size
5.08
people
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino of any race; other groups are non-Hispanic
Top countries of origin (foreign-born)
Languages Spoken at Home
Cost of Livingrent about average for NY
Rent, home values, and income in Kiryas Joel
In Kiryas Joel, home values are 79% above the NY average.
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
Rent Burdened
73.3%
spending 30%+ of income on rent
Severely Rent Burdened
55.4%
spending 50%+
Cost of Living Index
109.4
metro area (BEA) · US avg = 100
Median Property Tax
$3,663
per year, owner-occupied homes
Homeowners
33.4%
of occupied homes are owned
Typical Home Built
2006
median year built
Vacant Homes
7.2%
of housing units
Jobs & Economyunemployment 1.1 pts below NY average
Unemployment in Kiryas Joel
Unemployment in Kiryas Joel is 1.1 percentage points lower than the NY average.
Unemployment rate
City-level rate · BLS annual average
Unemployment Rate — 10 Year Trend
City-level (BLS) · Annual averages
What Kiryas Joel Residents Do for Work · share of employed residents by industry
City residents, wherever they work
Commute18.9 min avg
How Kiryas Joel residents get to work, and the nearest airports
In Kiryas Joel, most residents drive alone to work (35%), and 82% get there in under 30 minutes.
How People Get to Work
Commute Time Distribution
Nearest airports · with airline service
- 12 mi
New York Stewart International Airport (SWF)
Regional airport · few flights144k passengers boarded in 2025
- 42 mi
LaGuardia Airport (LGA)
Major hub16.3M passengers boarded in 2025
Straight-line distance. Size is the FAA’s hub category, based on passenger traffic: regional airports may have only a few flights a day.
Safety
Crime rates
Crime data not available
Kiryas Joel is policed by the Orange County Sheriff's Office, but the FBI rate for that agency isn't comparable: it reports crimes from a wider area than the population it's credited with, which inflates the per-resident rate several times over. We leave it out rather than show a misleading number.
Natural DisastersThunderstorm Wind most common — 11 events in 2025
Natural hazard risk, storms and earthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index
Relatively Moderate
90.6 / 100
Compares expected losses from natural hazards, social vulnerability and community resilience against every US county (higher = more risk).
Orange County, county-wide · FEMA NRI December 2025
In Orange County, which includes Kiryas Joel, the most common type is thunderstorm wind, with 11 recorded events in 2025.
Most common events:
Storm events by year
| Year | Events | Top Type | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 11 | Winter Weather | $21,000 |
| 2024 | 10 | Thunderstorm Wind | $113,000 |
| 2023 | 22 | Thunderstorm Wind | $149,000 |
| 2022 | 12 | Winter Weather | $11,000 |
| 2021 | 17 | Thunderstorm Wind | $10.1M |
| 2020 | 18 | Thunderstorm Wind | $206,000 |
| 2019 | 19 | Thunderstorm Wind | $95,000 |
| 2018 | 18 | Thunderstorm Wind | $304,000 |
Property damage is the National Weather Service's estimate filed with each event. “None reported” means the events were logged with $0 damage; “Not estimated” means no estimate was filed. Storms covering several counties aren't counted here, since NOAA doesn't split their damage by county.
0 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5+ within 100 miles in the past year
Orange County, county-wide
Air Quality27 median AQI — Good
Days by air quality category (2025)
Air quality in Orange County, which includes Kiryas Joel, is typically good — 311 good-air days per year.
Median AQI
27
Good Days
311
per year
Moderate Days
46
per year
Unhealthy Days
0
per year
Orange County, county-wide
Climate83°F summers, 23°F winters
30-year climate averages (1991–2020) — monthly temperatures and precipitation
Kiryas Joel has warm summers (avg high 83°F) and cold winters (avg low 23°F).
Spring (Mar–May)
60°/40°F
avg high / low
Summer (Jun–Aug)
83°/63°F
avg high / low
Fall (Sep–Nov)
64°/46°F
avg high / low
Winter (Dec–Feb)
38°/23°F
avg high / low
Annual Precipitation
51.5"
Annual Snowfall
35.7"
Hot Days/Year
18
days above 90°F
Freeze Days/Year
110
days below 32°F
Rainy Days/Year
118
Average month
Show month-by-month table ↓Hide table ↑
| Month | High | Low | Precip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°F | 21°F | 3.82" |
| Feb | 39°F | 22°F | 2.95" |
| Mar | 47°F | 30°F | 4.04" |
| Apr | 60°F | 41°F | 4.00" |
| May | 72°F | 51°F | 3.84" |
| Jun | 80°F | 60°F | 4.61" |
| Jul | 85°F | 65°F | 4.57" |
| Aug | 83°F | 64°F | 4.96" |
| Sep | 76°F | 57°F | 4.57" |
| Oct | 63°F | 46°F | 5.29" |
| Nov | 51°F | 36°F | 4.23" |
| Dec | 41°F | 27°F | 4.59" |
Healthcare
Hospitals, ratings, and health insurance in Kiryas Joel
Uninsured
1.3%
of residents
No hospitals inside Kiryas Joel's limits — nearest hospitals · within 15 miles
Keller Ach (west Point)
Acute Care - Department of Defense · ER available · 10.4 mi away · West Point
St Anthony Community Hospital
Acute Care Hospitals · 11.2 mi away · Warwick
Garnet Health Medical Center
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 12.5 mi away · Middletown
Adult Health · vs. the typical US place
Share of adults. Modeled estimates, not counted cases. “US” = the typical US place.
Medicare-certified hospitals only. Doesn’t include clinics, urgent care, or freestanding ERs.
Education5.7% college degree rate
Schools and degree attainment in Kiryas Joel
Public Schools
1
within city limits
Private Schools
0
within city limits
College Degree Rate
5.7%
adults 25+ with bachelor's or higher
Schools located within city limits (2023) — school-level metrics change slowly year to year
Colleges & Universities in Kiryas Joel
Private nonprofit · 4-year · 2,957 students · in-state tuition $16,000 · 77% graduate · median earnings $31,810 (10 yrs after entry)
Nearby Colleges (within 15 miles)
Orange County Community College
15 mi awayPublic · 2-year · 3,989 students · in-state tuition $6,706 · 31% graduate · median earnings $51,507 (10 yrs after entry)
Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,148 students · in-state tuition $45,630 · 63% graduate · median earnings $75,320 (10 yrs after entry)
Degree-granting colleges with 100+ students, placed by campus location (main campuses only — branch campuses are reported under their parent school)
Parks & Recreationclosest: Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park, 29 mi
Nearby national parks, recreation areas and public libraries for Kiryas Joel
Kiryas Joel has 8 nearby national parks or recreation areas, closest being Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park (29 mi away).
Nearby National Parks & Recreation Areas
Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park
National Historical Park
29 mi awayEleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site
National Historic Site
32 mi awayHome Of Franklin D Roosevelt National Historic Site
National Historic Site
32 mi awayVanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site
National Historic Site
34 mi awaySaint Paul's Church National Historic Site
National Historic Site
36 mi awayWeir Farm National Historical Park
National Historical Park
37 mi awayGeneral Grant National Memorial
National Memorial
38 mi awayHamilton Grange National Memorial
National Memorial
38 mi awayCities Near Kiryas Joel
The closest cities within 60 miles
Planning a move to Kiryas Joel?
Read our full moving guide — what it's really like to live here.
Kiryas Joel FAQ
Is Kiryas Joel, New York affordable?⌄
Kiryas Joel's median rent is $1,604/month, which is close to the national average. The median household income is $50,032/year. Median home value is $758,800.
What is the job market like in Kiryas Joel, New York?⌄
Kiryas Joel has an unemployment rate of 3.2%, which is solid, slightly below the national average of 4.3%.
What is the cost of living in Kiryas Joel, New York?⌄
The cost of living in Kiryas Joel is primarily driven by housing. Median rent is $1,604/month and median household income is $50,032/year. The median home value is $758,800. About 73% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.
How is the commute in Kiryas Joel, New York?⌄
The average commute in Kiryas Joel is 19 minutes, which is shorter than average compared to the national average of 26 minutes.
Data from the US Census Bureau, BLS, FBI, NOAA, EPA, Zillow Research and other public sources. Where our data comes from