12561 ZIP Code — New Paltz, NY

Ulster County, New York

ZIP code 12561 is located in New Paltz, New York, within Ulster County. It covers approximately 60.25 square miles and serves a population of 18,136 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 845.

About ZIP code 12561

The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $359,400. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 59%.

The gap between median ($85,539) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. Poverty affects 23% of residents, above the national average. 36% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 26 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is high — 53% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national average of 33%.

Overall, ZIP code 12561 reflects a community defined by a highly educated population, economic challenges above the national average, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

18,136

population

60.25

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

12561 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 12561

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 12561. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
New Paltz	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

12440 High Falls (4.1 mi) 12528 Highland (4.8 mi) 12486 Tillson (5.3 mi) 12515 Clintondale (5.8 mi) 12472 Rosendale (6.2 mi) 12419 Cottekill (6.6 mi) 12525 Gardiner (6.7 mi) 12548 Modena (7.1 mi) 12487 Ulster Park (8.3 mi) 12484 Stone Ridge (8.5 mi) 12411 Bloomington (8.6 mi) 12547 Milton (9.2 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	18,136
Population density	301 / sq mi
State FIPS	36
County FIPS	111

Geography
Land area	60.25 sq mi
Water area	0.89 sq mi
Latitude	41.7621
Longitude	-74.0872
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	845

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	37.9%	38.7%	37.0%
$50k – $100k	29.4%	29.7%	27.0%
$100k – $200k	24.1%	24.1%	24.4%
Over $200k	8.6%	7.5%	11.5%

Demographics & statistics

18,136

Population

301

People per sq mi

32.8

Median age

$85,539

Median household income

$41,765

Per capita income

$359,400

Median home value

$1,544

Median monthly rent

59.2%

Home ownership

22.8%

Poverty rate

6.9%

Unemployment

4,472

Housing units

53.4%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

256

Under 5

307

266

5–9

320

343

10–14

412

898

15–19

1,079

1,700

20–24

2,040

785

25–34

942

703

35–44

845

813

45–54

976

470

55–59

565

466

60–64

560

828

65–74

994

418

75–84

501

295

85+

354

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	2,285	12.6%
18 and over	15,851	87.4%
65 and over	3,390	18.7%
Median age	32.8 years

Race & ethnicity

White 72.2%

Hispanic or Latino 7.7%

Two or more races 6.8%

Black or African American 6.2%

Other race 3.9%

Asian 2.6%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	14,190	72.2%
Hispanic or Latino	1,515	7.7%
Two or more races	1,342	6.8%
Black or African American	1,227	6.2%
Other race	757	3.9%
Asian	515	2.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	91	0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	14	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	37.9%	38.7%	37.0%
$50k – $100k	29.4%	29.7%	27.0%
$100k – $200k	24.1%	24.1%	24.4%
Over $200k	8.6%	7.5%	11.5%

Under $10k 7.4%

$10k–$15k 2.2%

$15k–$25k 6.9%

$25k–$35k 13.1%

$35k–$50k 6.4%

$50k–$75k 9.7%

$75k–$100k 12.9%

$100k–$150k 15.9%

$150k–$200k 11.7%

$200k+ 13.7%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	7.4%
$10k–$15k	2.2%
$15k–$25k	6.9%
$25k–$35k	13.1%
$35k–$50k	6.4%
$50k–$75k	9.7%
$75k–$100k	12.9%
$100k–$150k	15.9%
$150k–$200k	11.7%
$200k+	13.7%
Median income	$85,539

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 4.0%

$50k–$100k 2.6%

$100k–$150k 4.1%

$150k–$200k 5.5%

$200k–$300k 19.5%

$300k–$500k 41.6%

$500k–$1M 20.0%

$1M+ 2.7%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$359,400
Median rent / month	$1,544
Owner occupied	59.2%
Renter occupied	40.8%
Vacant	10.1%
Single-family detached	56.6%
Large apartment buildings	5.7%
Mobile homes	7.4%
Median rooms	5.5
Avg household size (owned)	2.34

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.6%
2010–2019	5.2%
2000–2009	12.3%
1990–1999	11.8%
1980–1989	15.0%
1970–1979	11.7%
1960–1969	9.9%
1950–1959	10.3%
1940–1949	3.9%
1939 or earlier	19.4%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	5.0%
1 bedroom	14.3%
2 bedrooms	24.2%
3 bedrooms	34.3%
4 bedrooms	16.1%
5+ bedrooms	6.1%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	11.8%
1 vehicle	39.1%
2 vehicles	29.2%
3 or more	19.9%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	16.1%
Electricity	18.6%
Propane / LP gas	17.0%
Fuel oil	43.5%
Wood	1.7%
Solar	0.3%
No fuel used	1.5%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	2,256	35.5%
Cohabiting couple	598	9.4%
Male householder, no spouse	1,605	25.3%
Female householder, no spouse	1,892	29.8%
Households with children under 18	1,192	18.8%
Households with seniors (65+)	2,348	37.0%
Average household size	2.28

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	49.8%	52.3%
Married	36.6%	29.0%
Separated	0.8%	2.5%
Widowed	3.5%	7.8%
Divorced	9.4%	8.5%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.0%

Some HS, no diploma 1.3%

HS graduate 19.8%

Some college, no degree 16.0%

Associate's degree 7.5%

Bachelor's degree 26.6%

Graduate / professional 26.9%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	96.7%
Bachelor's or higher	53.4%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	145	2.1%
Kindergarten	166	2.4%
Elementary school	1,070	15.8%
High school	453	6.7%
College / grad school	4,953	73.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 32.0%

Arts, food & hospitality 14.8%

Professional & management 13.4%

Retail trade 12.1%

Manufacturing 6.0%

Finance & real estate 4.7%

Public administration 4.1%

Construction 3.6%

Information 3.4%

Other services 2.7%

Transportation & utilities 1.6%

Agriculture & mining 1.2%

Wholesale trade 0.5%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	47.6%
Service	20.9%
Sales & office	21.5%
Natural resources & construction	3.6%
Production & transportation	6.4%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	72.0%
Government	18.9%
Self-employed	8.7%
Unpaid family workers	0.4%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	58.7%
Carpool	5.7%
Public transit	1.7%
Walk	12.6%
Work from home	18.9%
Other means	2.3%
Avg commute (minutes)	25.6

Poverty

All people 22.8%

Under 18 years 14.1%

18 and over 24.2%

Married-couple families 4.6%

Female-led households 25.8%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	35.8%
Retirement income	31.8%
Supplemental Security	2.2%
Cash public assistance	1.2%
Food stamps / SNAP	4.3%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	24.3%
High blood pressure	24.4%
High cholesterol	27.3%
Diabetes	6.4%
Heart disease	4.5%
Stroke	2.1%
Asthma	10.7%
Arthritis	17.5%
Kidney disease	2.2%
Pulmonary disease	4.7%
Cancer	5.4%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	12.2%
Binge drinking	18.7%
No physical activity	18.8%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	28.4%
Depression	20.9%
Fair or poor health	9.5%
Poor mental health	15.3%
Poor physical health	7.5%
No health insurance	9.4%
Visited doctor (checkup)	75.4%
Visited dentist	69.6%
Cholesterol screening	87.1%
Teeth loss	10.6%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	409	2.6%

Disability	%
Any disability	11.3%
Under 18	4.0%
18–64 years	8.6%
65 and over	26.5%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	75.6%
Public insurance	35.8%
No insurance	3.2%
Uninsured under 19	0.9%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	17,573	96.9%
Spanish	533	3.0%
Other Indo-European	222	1.3%
Asian & Pacific Islander	162	0.9%
Other languages	138	0.8%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	16,804	92.7%
Born in same state	16,571	91.4%
Born in different state	13,181	72.7%
Foreign born	233	1.3%
Naturalized citizen	1,332	7.3%
Not a US citizen	632	47.4%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	3,382	18.6%
French	1,405	7.7%
Arab	1,217	6.7%
Irish	435	2.4%
Polish	274	1.5%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	259	1.4%
German	115	0.6%
Dutch	63	0.3%
Norwegian	51	0.3%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	35.0%
Internet access	95.6%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 12561

What city is ZIP code 12561 in?

ZIP code 12561 is primarily assigned to New Paltz, New York.

What county is ZIP code 12561 in?

ZIP code 12561 falls within Ulster County, New York.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 12561?

23% of residents in ZIP code 12561 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 12561?

53% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — well above the national average of ~33%, reflecting a highly educated population.

Does ZIP code 12561 have a large retiree population?

36% of households in ZIP code 12561 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 12561?

The median home value in ZIP code 12561 is $359,400.

What timezone is ZIP code 12561 in?

ZIP code 12561 observes the EST timezone.