Comprising Ulster County, in the Mid-Hudson Valley, the Kingston metropolitan area has a population of 182,000. Employment had been essentially flat in the years leading up to the pandemic and has remained about 5 percent below pre-pandemic levels during 2022. The professional and business services industry has been the main driver of job growth in recent years, and the leisure and hospitality sector has also outperformed somewhat, as the area is within a day trip from New York City and includes part of the Catskill Mountains, with its parks, resorts, and nature activities. In contrast, the health and education sector has seen the steepest job losses since the start of the pandemic.
Economic and Demographic Trends
| Kingston | Orange-Rockland-Westchester* | Dutchess-Putnam* | New York State | USA | |
| Population1 | 182,000 | 1,744,000 | 394,000 | 20,201,000 | 331,449,000 |
| Pop growth, 10-year change1 | -0.4% | 6.8% | -0.9% | 4.2% | 7.4% |
| GDP, billions1 | $8 | $125 | $19 | $1,725 | $20,894 |
| Job growth, 5-year change2 | -7.2% | -4.1% | -5.6% | -4.1% | 1.2% |
| Median household income1 | $64,100 | $82,000 | $81,900 | $72,600 | $67,000 |
| Median home price1 | $220,000 | $350,000 | $320,000 | $350,000 | $250,000 |
| Pop share age 25+ with BA+1 | 31.6% | 38.8% | 41.8% | 39.4% | 35.1% |
