Census-designated place · New York
Washington Heights, New York
Washington Heights, census-designated place, in Orange County, New York. Washington Heights had 2,205 residents in the 2020 Census, a full count; the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 2,383 (±848). GEOID 3678421.
Residents, 2020 Census
2,205
Census count or controlled total
ACS 2020-2024 estimate: 2,383 ±848
Median household income
$81,686
±$37,251 (90% margin)
New York: $85,974
Median home value
$366,700
±$43,304 (90% margin)
New York: $423,800
Median gross rent
$2,554
±$447 (90% margin)
New York: $1,621
Where is Washington Heights and what county is it in?
Washington Heights is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for counting, with no city government of its own, in Orange County, New York. It covers 1.5 square miles of land, 1,499 residents per square mile in 2020.
Washington Heights is in the Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 2 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Washington Heights lies entirely within the Town of Wallkill, a town with its own local government (2020 census blocks).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Washington Heights, and is it growing?
The 2020 Census counted 2,205 residents in Washington Heights, a full count rather than a sample. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a sample, estimates 2,383 (±848).
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; Washington Heights is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | Washington Heights | Orange County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 2,383 ±848 | 406,616 | no clear change |
| Households | 675 ±168 | 138,608 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 3.53 ±0.67 | 2.84 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 688 ±168 | 149,699 | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Washington Heights?
The median resident of Washington Heights is 34.6 years old. The largest group is non-Hispanic Black residents at 35.1%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 24.3%. 25.9% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Washington Heights | Orange County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 34.6 ±6.4 | 37.0 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 26.9% ±11.4 pts | 25.6% | – |
| 65 years and over | 7.9% ±5.7 pts | 14.6% | – |
| Male | 50.8% ±8.1 pts | 49.9% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 24.3% ±19.5 pts | 23.9% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 23.2% ±10.6 pts | 57.9% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 35.1% ±21.5 pts | 10.5% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 5.1% ±6.2 pts | 2.8% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.8 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.8 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 12.3% ±14.6 pts | 4.0% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.8 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 25.9% ±15.4 pts | 13.7% | no clear change |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 29.2% ±18.3 pts | 30.2% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 3.3% ±2.5 pts | 5.2% | – |
| With a disability | 7.0% ±6.0 pts | 11.6% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 15.4% ±7.2 pts | 4.7% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 88.0% ±10.7 pts | 89.8% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 32.9% ±22.4 pts | 32.5% | – |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 11.5% ±8.0 pts | 13.9% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 95.6% ±5.7 pts | 91.2% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 3.1% ±5.2 pts | 1.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Washington Heights earn?
Half of Washington Heights's 675 households earn less than $81,686 a year (±$37,251), against $97,178 in Orange County and $85,974 in New York. 13.3% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Washington Heights | Orange County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $81,686 ±$37,251 | $97,178 | – |
| Mean household income | $115,653 ±$27,978 | $124,053 | – |
| Per capita income | $33,510 ±$8,667 | $43,052 | −$13,456 |
| People below the poverty line | 13.3% ±8.6 pts | 12.6% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 6.0% ±10.6 pts | 18.0% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 3.6% ±4.7 pts | 10.7% | – |
| Households with a computer | 97.9% ±3.5 pts | 92.0% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 94.5% ±6.7 pts | 89.3% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Washington Heights?
Owners occupy 71.7% of Washington Heights's occupied homes and renters 28.3%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $366,700 by its owner (±$43,304). The median renter pays $2,554 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Washington Heights | Orange County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $366,700 ±$43,304 | $387,900 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $2,554 ±$447 | $1,680 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 35.2% ±51.9 pts | 48.0% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $2,518 ±$360 | $2,664 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 71.7% ±16.9 pts | 67.8% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 28.3% ±16.9 pts | 32.2% | – |
| Housing units | 688 ±168 | 149,699 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 2.6% ±4.0 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±19.8 pts | 3.8% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 75.0% ±14.2 pts | 61.0% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.0% ±6.0 pts | 2.0% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±6.0 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 21.7% ±16.1 pts | 7.7% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 16.0% ±9.5 pts | 20.1% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 4.6% ±7.4 pts | 9.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Washington Heights work and get to work?
68.2% of Washington Heights's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 30.1 minutes.
| Measure | Washington Heights | Orange County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 68.1% ±16.4 pts | 63.1% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 4.0% ±5.9 pts | 5.5% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 68.2% ±13.1 pts | 66.7% | – |
| Carpooled | 16.5% ±7.2 pts | 9.9% | – |
| Public transportation | 10.1% ±10.9 pts | 4.7% | – |
| Walked | 1.5% ±2.7 pts | 3.7% | – |
| Worked from home | 2.1% ±3.1 pts | 12.8% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 30.1 min ±11.3 | 34.1 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Washington Heights?
1 census tract lies mostly in Washington Heights (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 113.01Orange County | 5,461 | $58,095 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Washington Heights) · Census block assignment files
How does Washington Heights compare with other places in New York?
Washington Heights ranks 833rd of 1,623 places in New York with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population (ACS 2020-2024) | 1,087th | 1,657 |
| Residents per square mile | 561st | 1,657 |
| Median household income | 833rd | 1,623 |
| Per capita income | 1,306th | 1,653 |
| Median home value | 497th | 1,637 |
| Median gross rent | 96th | 1,515 |
| Poverty rate | 423rd | 1,331 |
| Median age | 1,515th | 1,654 |
| Owner-occupied share | 1,137th | 1,639 |
| Travel time to work | 511th | 1,652 |
Washington Heights's figures with every place in New York (CSV)
Every place in New York, sortable · Compare Washington Heights with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Washington Heights?
25 of the 57 figures for Washington Heights on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Washington Heights are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' school search.