How Much Money are People Making in Westchester County?

New data released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau shows some good news overall for New York when it comes to incomes in 2015.

New York's median household income was $60,850 in 2015, and the U.S. national average is $56,000. Of course, we know the cost of living here in the Empire State is much higher than many places in the nation.

But most counties in the mid to lower Hudson Valley saw household income grow from 2014 to 2015, with Putnam County being an exception.

Overall for New York, the median household income rose slightly, from $58,878 in 2014 to $60,850 in 2015. Indeed, the median household income has continued to go up each year since 2012 when it was $56,448.

Here is a county-by-county view of the median household income in the lower to mid Hudson Valley, with Putnam County leading the way, followed by Westchester and Rockland counties.

Putnam County, while at the top of the chart for the region for 2015, is down substantially from 2014, though still ahead of where it was in 2013.

All other counties in the region saw increases from 2014 to 2015, though a couple by razor-thin margins.

• Dutchess County: $71,864 median household income in 2015. It was $71,165 in 2014 and $70,056 in 2013.
• Orange County: $73,031 median household income in 2015. It was $70,240 in 2014 and $68,950 in 2013.
• Putnam County: $90,538 median household income in 2015. It was $97,483 in 2014 and $93,746 in 2013.
• Rockland County: $85,392 median household income in 2015. It was $85,037 in 2014 and $80,942 in 2013.
• Ulster County: $59,758 median household income in 2015. It was $58,093 in 2014 and $58,429 in 2013.
• Westchester County: $86,108 median household income in 2015. It was $83,477 in 2014 and $84,220 in 2013.

The American Community Survey is conducted monthly, according to a Census statement, with income data collected for the 12 months preceding the interview. Data released Thursday included states and communities with a population larger than 65,000. Income, poverty and other demographic info for the rest of the country will be released in December with the 5-year survey results.

"The American Community Survey allows us to track incremental changes across our nation on how Americans live and work, year­-to­-year," Census Bureau Director John H. Thompson said in a statement. "It helps people, businesses and governments in all of our states and local communities better understand the needs of their populations, the markets in which they operate and the challenges and opportunities they face."

Incomes rose in 21 of the nation's 25 largest metropolitan areas, while poverty decreased in 16 out of the 25.

National numbers released earlier this week noted that the nation had seen an annual increase in household incomes for the first time since 2007, a year before the recession. The U.S. also saw the largest annual decrease in the poverty rate since 1999.

Median household income in the United States in 2015 was $56,516, an increase of 5.2 percent from 2014.

The median household income increased in 39 states and the District of Columbia — the highest increase was Montana, with 6.8 percent. Maryland and D.C. have the highest median household incomes at $75,847 and $75,628, respectively. The lowest is Mississippi — at $40,593, it was statistically unchanged from 2014's rate.

No state saw a poverty rate increase, according to Census figures, and nearly half saw poverty rates decrease between 2014 and 2015. Poverty rates in 2015 ranged from a low of 8.2 percent in New Hampshire to a high of 22 percent in Mississippi, according to survey numbers.

Some of the highest poverty rates were found in Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi and New Mexico. Some of the lowest poverty rates were found in Alaska, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey and Vermont.

— Written by Greg Hambrick and Brian McCready, Patch National Staff. Additional reporting by Staff Writer Michael Woyton.

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