New York’s Best Place To Live Is In The Hudson Valley

The best community to live in in New York is apparently Croton-on-Hudson, located in Westchester County. That’s according to a new report from the financial news and opinion site 24/7 Wall St., which determined the best city or town to live in every state.

The authors acknowledge that while many things factor into what makes a place “home,” some specific attributes are commonly shared and “universally desirable.” These include essentials like safe streets, a strong local economy, affordability and diverse entertainment options.

We acknowledge that Croton-on-Hudson is actually an incorporated village, not a town or city (separate kinds of municipalities as far as New York's sticklers are concerned).

Here’s a breakdown of Croton-on-Hudson, New York:

• Population: 8,209
• 5 yr. population change: +2.8%
• Median home value: $519,400
• Median household income: $117,656

Here’s what the authors had to say:

Croton-on-Hudson is a small village on the eastern bank of the Hudson River, less than 40 miles north of Manhattan. The village is on a train line that goes directly into the city, and largely as a result, more than one in every four workers in Croton-on-Hudson commute using public transit. The village’s proximity to New York City contributes to high property values as most homes in the community are worth over half a million dollars.

Croton-on-Hudson is one of the safest communities in New York. There were just 48 violent crimes for every 100,000 village residents in 2017, about an eighth of the national violent crime rate of 383 per 100,000.

Most of the best cities to live in were relatively affluent. That includes Paradise Valley, dubbed the best place to live in Arizona, where the median home value is north of $1.3 million — more than seven times the national median. The median household in the town earns an income of $173,487.

To identify the best cities to live in, the researchers created a weighted index of more than two dozen measures in four categories: affordability, economy, quality of life and community. Some of the measures include ratio of median home value to median income, cost of living, unemployment rate, poverty rate, food insecurity rate, death rate and violent crime rate.

But several cities and towns were much more modest.

Batesville, Arkansas, was highlighted specifically because it’s so affordable and has various attractions and amenities. The median household in the city earns $42,143 a year, while the median home is worth $120,400.

“With roots as far back as 1804, Batesville is the second oldest city in Arkansas,” the authors noted. “The city, which avoided destruction in the Civil War, has a number of historic buildings and sites. There are attractions in the area for nearly every taste and preference, including antique stores, art galleries, an annual film festival, and the Batesville Motor Speedway.”

Croton-on-Hudson is an easy commute from Manhattan: Metro-North express trains between Grand Central and the Croton-Harmon station take about 46 minutes.

It's also worth a visit. The annual EagleFest draws hundreds of people and Metro-North runs special trains. This year it's Feb. 9. The Clearwater Festival draws thousands every summer.

Patch national staffer Dan Hampton contributed to this report.

PHOTO/ Chris McHugh

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