Housing data for Watchtower, NY
Watchtower, NY has an estimated 3,974 residents and 0 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is an unincorporated community in Ulster County.
Its population grew measurably since 2015–2019 (+87.7%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 3,974 (±239)
- Housing units
- 0 (±14)
- Residents since 2015–2019
- +87.7%
Housing in Watchtower at a glance
- Growth: +87.7% residents since 2015–2019
Watchtower against Ulster County, its state and the nation
| Watchtower | Ulster County | New York | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 3,974 (±239) | 182,601 (exact) | 19,852,366 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 0 (±14) | 86,503 (±151) | 8,585,241 (±652) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | — | 30.1% (±1.5 points) | 45.7% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | — | $1,425 (±$48) | $1,621 (±$7) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | — | $86,271 (±$2,871) | $85,974 (±$402) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | — | $352,500 (±$6,261) | $423,800 (±$1,627) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | — | $6,238 (±$115) | $6,582 (±$21) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | — | 66.3% (±2.3 points) | 73.9% (±0.2 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | — | 27.5 minutes (±0.8) | 32.6 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | — | 92.4% (±0.8 points) | 90.8% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 37.4 years (±1.5) | 44.1 years (±0.2) | 39.8 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
Watchtower covers 0.7 square miles of land, about 5,589 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Watchtower has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 2,117 (±258) | 3,974 (±239) | +87.7% | Measurable increase |
| Housing units | 0 (±12) | 0 (±14) | — | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Ulster County
Watchtower has no police department of its own in the FBI’s figures, so this is the figure for Ulster County as a whole.
In 2025, the police departments that report for Ulster County recorded 101 violent and 633 property crimes per 100,000 residents.
A county-wide figure describes the whole county, not this place; crime varies from one community to the next.
Places near Watchtower
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pine Bush | 2.6 mi | $1,390 | $318,200 | 57.0% |
| Town of Crawford | 5.3 mi | $1,621 | $428,800 | 20.4% |
| Town of Gardiner | 5.4 mi | $1,732 | $469,200 | 23.9% |
| Wallkill (community) | 5.4 mi | $1,351 | $341,700 | 34.1% |
| Walker Valley | 5.6 mi | $2,620 | $331,700 | 21.2% |
| Village of Walden | 6.6 mi | $1,625 | $333,500 | 40.4% |
| Gardiner (community) | 6.6 mi | $1,775 | $568,600 | 56.1% |
| Village of Ellenville | 7.0 mi | $1,320 | $218,200 | 51.3% |
HUD Fair Market Rent for Watchtower, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,308 | $1,436 | $1,878 | $2,282 | $2,468 |
HUD income limits for Watchtower, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $24,650 | $41,100 | $65,700 |
| 2 people | $28,200 | $46,950 | $75,100 |
| 3 people | $31,700 | $52,800 | $84,500 |
| 4 people | $35,200 | $58,650 | $93,850 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $63,350 | $101,400 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $68,050 | $108,900 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $72,750 | $116,400 |
| 8 people | $55,720 | $77,450 | $123,900 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Kingston, NY MSA, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $117,300.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Watchtower is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for statistics, with no municipal government of its own.
It lies inside the Town of Shawangunk, whose figures include it.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Watchtower
Is Watchtower growing?
Watchtower, NY had an estimated 3,974 residents in 2020–2024 and 2,117 in 2015–2019, a change of +87.7%: a measurable increase by the Census Bureau’s test.
Is Watchtower growing?
In Watchtower, the number of residents went from 2,117 in 2015–2019 to 3,974 in 2020–2024 (+87.7%), a measurable increase.
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Watchtower CDP, New York
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Watchtower CDP, New York
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Watchtower CDP, New York
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Watchtower CDP, New York
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Watchtower CDP, New York
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Watchtower CDP, New York
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Watchtower CDP, New York
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Kingston, NY MSA
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Kingston, NY MSA
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Watchtower CDP, New York (place:78487, in state:36).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .