Jobs, pay and daily life in Kingston, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Kingston is a city in New York with 23,911 residents. The median household earns $68,186 a year and the median rent is $1,469 a month, which is 25.9% of the median household income. It is part of the Kingston, NY metropolitan area, where BLS counts 59,140 jobs.
How Kingston compares. Among the 120 largest places in New York, Kingston is #69 by population, #97 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #25 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #91 for household income (#1 = highest). Its county, Ulster County, is #35 of 62 counties for average pay ($61,154).
Kingston has 23,911 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.1% of the population of New York. It covers 7 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 3,196 people per square mile. The median age is 37.2, 7% younger than the state median (37.2 against 39.8).
The median gross rent is $1,469 a month (rent plus utilities), 9% below the state median ($1,469 against $1,621). Over a year that is 25.9% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $315,500, which is 4.6 times the median household income ($68,186). 48.4% of households own their home, 11% below the state average (48.4% against 54.4%).
The Kingston, NY metropolitan area has 59,140 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $50,020 a year, about the same as the national median ($50,020 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (7,220 jobs, median $48,330); food preparation and serving related (6,410 jobs, median $37,570); educational instruction and library (5,310 jobs, median $63,200). The area is most specialised in educational instruction and library (1.5 times) and food preparation and serving related (1.2 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are educational instruction and library ($63,200) and office and administrative support ($48,330). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Ulster County was 3.8%. 64.9% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Ulster County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 67.1% drive alone, 1.5% use public transit, 2.4% walk, 15.3% work from home. 9.3% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 66% below the state average (9.3% against 27.4%).
32.6% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 19% below the state share (32.6% against 40.2%). 12.1% of residents were born outside the United States, 47% below the state share (12.1% against 22.8%). The poverty rate is 17.6%, 26% above the state rate (17.6% against 14.0%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 72°F (22.5°C), and the coolest is Jan at 23°F (-5.2°C). About 1,241 mm (49 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Oct is the wettest month (128 mm) and Jan the driest (77 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Poughkeepsie (17 miles, rent 5% lower); Newburgh (30 miles, similar rent); Middletown (40 miles, rent 13% higher); Kiryas Joel (42 miles, rent 9% higher). Rent differences are against Kingston; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in New York (1,186) →State guide: New YorkCountry guideUlster CountyNew York rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 1,186 federal postings open in New York (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in New York →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 2,110 | 1.29 | $37,750 | $35,940 | $46,870 | +5% |
| Retail Salespersons | 1,860 | 1.26 | $36,530 | $33,210 | $50,590 | +3% |
| Cashiers | 1,490 | 1.27 | $34,770 | $32,240 | $37,240 | +6% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 1,440 | 0.98 | $35,460 | $32,240 | $42,330 | +14% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 1,320 | 1.22 | $37,910 | $32,240 | $47,930 | +2% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 1,280 | 1.48 | $46,440 | $32,240 | $76,620 | +32% |
| General and Operations Managers | 1,280 | 0.96 | $99,970 | $51,840 | $217,510 | -5% |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 1,130 | 2.10 | $37,180 | $32,240 | $47,720 | +1% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 1,070 | 1.27 | $38,570 | $32,240 | $57,020 | +5% |
| Registered Nurses | 1,000 | 0.78 | $101,030 | $71,610 | $129,610 | +4% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 920 | 1.41 | $48,620 | $36,970 | $64,180 | +2% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 870 | 1.49 | $50,230 | $36,850 | $73,560 | +1% |
| Office Clerks, General | 790 | 0.84 | $44,850 | $33,180 | $62,660 | -0% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 750 | 1.40 | $43,150 | $34,840 | $48,450 | +15% |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 710 | 1.35 | $97,920 | $60,430 | $125,740 | +53% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 680 | 0.69 | $43,680 | $33,410 | $66,390 | -2% |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | 670 | 1.29 | $54,510 | $40,480 | $75,030 | +8% |
| Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 640 | 1.95 | $36,500 | $33,780 | $74,220 | +3% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 560 | 0.71 | $59,830 | $47,320 | $76,740 | +2% |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 560 | 1.38 | $101,300 | $63,230 | $126,100 | +41% |
These figures are for the whole Kingston, NY metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $50,020 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.8% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 27.5% |
| Retail trade | 12.3% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 12.2% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 9.2% |
| Construction | 8.1% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 6.6% |
| Other services | 5.5% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 5.4% |
| Public administration | 4.8% |
| Manufacturing | 4.5% |
| Information | 2.7% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.0% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.1% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Kingston lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ulster County | 182,601 | $10,454 million | $57,251 | 59,330 | 5,871 | $61,154 | +1.8% | 3.8% | 90,042 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 8,279 | 19.4% | $62,001 | 0.97 |
| Retail trade | 8,073 | 18.9% | $40,729 | 1.36 |
| Accommodation and food services | 7,822 | 18.3% | $33,622 | 1.45 |
| Manufacturing | 3,388 | 7.9% | $66,089 | 0.70 |
| Construction | 2,909 | 6.8% | $73,547 | 0.93 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 2,217 | 5.2% | $38,878 | 1.24 |
| Administrative and waste services | 2,132 | 5.0% | $61,821 | 0.61 |
| Professional and technical services | 1,652 | 3.9% | $77,220 | 0.40 |
| Finance and insurance | 1,265 | 3.0% | $86,068 | 0.53 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 1,034 | 2.4% | $43,355 | 2.15 |
| Information | 874 | 2.0% | $77,321 | 0.79 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 859 | 2.0% | $37,574 | 0.86 |
| Educational services | 844 | 2.0% | $42,573 | 0.69 |
| Real estate and rental | 660 | 1.5% | $66,045 | 0.72 |
| Management of companies | 540 | 1.3% | $75,830 | 0.54 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 110 | 0.3% | $81,093 | 0.49 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 67.1% |
| Public transit | 1.5% |
| Walk | 2.4% |
| Work from home | 15.3% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 9.3% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $68,186 |
| Income per person | $40,197 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,469 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 25.9% |
| Median home value | $315,500 |
| Homeowners | 48.4% |
| Poverty rate | 17.6% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 100.7 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $50,020 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 10.90%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 37.2 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 88.4% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 32.6% |
| Born abroad | 12.1% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 64.9% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -5.2 | 23 | 77 |
| Feb | -4.0 | 25 | 77 |
| Mar | 0.7 | 33 | 91 |
| Apr | 7.6 | 46 | 95 |
| May | 14.2 | 58 | 100 |
| Jun | 19.2 | 67 | 125 |
| Jul | 22.5 | 72 | 112 |
| Aug | 21.7 | 71 | 125 |
| Sep | 17.8 | 64 | 115 |
| Oct | 10.6 | 51 | 128 |
| Nov | 4.0 | 39 | 88 |
| Dec | -1.7 | 29 | 108 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poughkeepsie | NY | 17 mi | 31,958 | $60,741 | $1,400 |
| Newburgh | NY | 30 mi | 28,519 | $56,960 | $1,454 |
| Middletown | NY | 40 mi | 30,289 | $79,346 | $1,661 |
| Kiryas Joel | NY | 42 mi | 38,916 | $50,032 | $1,604 |
| Peekskill | NY | 45 mi | 25,625 | $85,954 | $2,036 |
| Albany | NY | 52 mi | 100,492 | $61,986 | $1,216 |
| New City | NY | 54 mi | 34,458 | $173,046 | $2,242 |
| Ossining | NY | 54 mi | 26,950 | $103,573 | $2,154 |
| Spring Valley | NY | 56 mi | 33,192 | $57,196 | $1,695 |
| Monsey | NY | 57 mi | 28,160 | $47,629 | $1,892 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
23,911 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,469 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 25.9% of the median household income.
$68,186 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.8% (BLS county, Ulster County (latest month 2026M09)).
New York. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.