Ulster County, NY

Population. Census estimates 182,977 residents on July 1, 2024, 0.9% above 2020 (+1,700).

Latest year (2023→2024): births minus deaths −381, international migration +842, domestic migration −382. These are model-based estimates built from births, deaths, and migration, revised annually — not a census count, and they can differ from the ACS 5-year figure used elsewhere on the site. Components may not sum exactly because of rounding.

Jobs. LODES counts 56,535 jobs located in the county in 2022 (−4.6% since 2019) and 78,343 employed residents (−0.8% since 2019). A job and a worker are not the same thing: the first is measured at the workplace, the second at the home address, and one person can hold two jobs. Self-employed, military, and informal work are excluded.

Where movers come from and go. IRS matched individual tax returns between 2021 and 2022. 7,135 people (exemptions) moved into Ulster County, reporting $508.9M in adjusted gross income; 7,512 moved out, reporting $475.4M. Net: −377 people.

Largest sources: Orange, NY (1,087) · Dutchess, NY (836) · Kings, NY (741). Largest destinations: Orange, NY (959) · Dutchess, NY (867) · Kings, NY (327).

People are exemptions on matched returns — not a population estimate. Non-filers, dependents claimed elsewhere, and people whose address did not change are treated differently than in Census estimates. Tax data lag about two years.

Each source is reported at its own geography and year. None of them measures demand for a specific business type; they describe whether the local customer base and job base are expanding or shrinking. Definitions and limits →

Each percentage is the county's density of that business type per 10,000 people present (residents + 0.5×workers), divided by the U.S. average. 100% = exactly average.

Density is a supply-side signal. It does not measure foot traffic, income, tourism, or whether locals actually want more of a given business.