Compare towns
Middletown vs Hempstead vs Wallkill
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against New York.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Middletown has the most kids (25.9% under 18).
Hempstead has the most expensive homes ($460k median).
Wallkill has the most people working from home (10.5%).
What matters to you?
Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.
| Measure | Middletown | Hempstead | Wallkill |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 30,289Lowest |
58,801Highest |
31,023 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +8%Lowest NY: +4.2% |
+9.8% NY: +4.2% |
+11.2%Highest NY: +4.2% |
| Median age | 36.3±2.4Lowest 9% below NY |
38.1±2.1 4% below NY |
41.2±2.2Highest 4% above NY |
| Wallkill and Hempstead are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 25.9%±3.1Highest NY: 20.5% |
22.7%±1.9 NY: 20.5% |
20.7%±2.3Lowest NY: 20.5% |
| Middletown and Hempstead are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 13.6%±1.8 NY: 17.9% |
13.2%±1.3Lowest NY: 17.9% |
15.7%±1.6Highest NY: 17.9% |
| Wallkill and Middletown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 20.1%Lowest NY: 40.2% |
21.5% NY: 40.2% |
28%Highest NY: 40.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.2%±1.4Lowest NY: 7% |
5.9%±0.9 NY: 7% |
7.8%±1.5Highest NY: 7% |
| Wallkill and Hempstead are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $79,346±$8kLowest 8% below NY |
$90,420±$13k 5% above NY |
$96,076±$4kHighest 12% above NY |
| Wallkill and Hempstead are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $308,600±$14kLowest 27% below NY |
$459,500±$14kHighest 8% above NY |
$353,200±$13k 17% below NY |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,661±$106 about the NY average |
$1,622±$74Lowest about the NY average |
$1,790±$80Highest 10% above NY |
| Wallkill and Middletown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,773 about the NY average |
$10,000+Highest at least 52% above NY |
$6,623Lowest about the NY average |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 55.3%±5.9 NY: 52.1% |
57.1%±6Highest NY: 52.1% |
52.8%±8.1Lowest NY: 52.1% |
| Hempstead and Middletown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 13.6% NY: 14% |
14.4%Highest NY: 14% |
11%Lowest NY: 14% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 51.7% NY: 54.3% |
47.5%Lowest NY: 54.3% |
64.1%Highest NY: 54.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1960 1 yr newer than NY |
1958Lowest 1 yr older than NY |
1978Highest 19 yrs newer than NY |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 36 minHighest 10% above NY |
33 min about the NY average |
31 minLowest 5% below NY |
| Work from home | 6%±1.9Lowest NY: 14.9% |
7.3%±1.5 NY: 14.9% |
10.5%±2.9Highest NY: 14.9% |
| Wallkill and Hempstead are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #150 of 484 in NY | — | #476 of 484 in NY |
| School district | MIDDLETOWN CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT | — | MIDDLETOWN CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT · PINE BUSH CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT |
| High school in town | MIDDLETOWN HIGH SCHOOL | — | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.8 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet |
NY average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.