The Town Files

Scotchtown, New York

Community in Orange County · population 10,578 (2020 Census)

Map: where Scotchtown is in New YorkScotchtown
Median home
$344,300
Household income
$96,689
Jan low / Jul high
18° / 82°
Snow a year
47 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
5
Median age
36.2

Scotchtown is a community of 10,578 people in Orange County, New York. The median home is worth $344,300, above the typical New York town ($217,700). It ranks more of a college town than 91% of New York towns, more vibrant than 86% of New York towns, better for first-time buyers than 83% of New York towns.

How Scotchtown ranks

Percentile among New York towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of New York towns.

Scotchtown lifestyle rankings vs other New York townsRetirement5th pctFamilies17th pctQuiet5th pctWalkability71st pctFirst-time buyers83rd pctYoung professionals75th pctVibrancy86th pctHip & trendy29th pctCollege town91st pctUpscale45th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit74th pctDriving43rd pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Scotchtown is worth $344,300, above the typical New York town ($217,700). Homes cost about 3.6 times the median household income of $96,689, which is more affordable than 32% of New York towns. Median rent is $1,813 a month. 47.1% of households own their home.

Scotchtown vs Orange County vs typical New York townScotchtownOrange CountyTypical New York townHome value$344,300$387,900$217,700Household income$96,689$97,178$80,740Monthly rent$1,813$1,680$1,080
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of New York towns with 500+ people.
HousingScotchtownTypical New York town
Median home value$344,300$217,700
Median rent$1,813$1,080
Median household income$96,689$80,740
Home value ÷ income3.6×2.8×
Homeownership47.1%79.5%
Median year built19781965
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Scotchtown

PeopleScotchtownTypical New York town
Median age36.243.5
Age 65 and over11.3%20.4%
Under 1817.5%—
Bachelor's degree or higher31.5%30.4%
Below the poverty line8.3%9.3%
Veterans6.5%—
Born outside the U.S.20.3%—
Work from home8.4%11.1%
Average commute28.7 min26.0 min
Homes with broadband94.4%91.1%

Weather in Scotchtown

July highs average 82.4°F and January lows 17.8°F. About 44.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 46.8 inches of snow (typical New York town: 62.9 in). Expect about 10 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 123 nights at or below freezing.

Scotchtown monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing34°18°Jan37°18°Feb47°26°Mar60°38°Apr70°48°May78°57°Jun82°62°Jul81°60°Aug73°53°Sep62°43°Oct50°33°Nov39°24°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue2.612.62.110.83.010.44.01.23.84.64.24.54.34.50.23.21.33.510.2
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Middletown 2 Nw station (4.5 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 4 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Scotchtown since 1950, compared with 5 for the typical New York town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on June 16, 1974 about 7.2 miles from the town center. The most recent was on August 27, 2020.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Scotchtown by decade01950s11960s11970s01980s11990s02000s12010s12020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 12 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on June 9, 2011.

Severe weather in Orange County since 1996

Storm events in Orange County since 1996 by typeHail70Flood31Drought10High Wind26Lightning32Heavy Rain20Heavy Snow60Flash Flood121
NOAA Storm Events Database, Orange County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 10 deaths recorded.

Orange County has been included in 36 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, other.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
November 15, 2024FireFM-5547: Jennings Creek Fire
July 22, 2023Severe StormDR-4723: Severe Storms And Flooding
September 5, 2021HurricaneDR-4615: Remnants Of Hurricane Ida
September 2, 2021HurricaneEM-3572: Remnants Of Hurricane Ida
August 22, 2021HurricaneEM-3565: Hurricane Henri

Jobs and pay in Orange County

Orange County had 155,524 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $62,619 a year. Unemployment was 3.4% in 2023; in Scotchtown itself the ACS puts it at 7.2%.

Largest industries in Orange CountyHealth care & social assistan…24,237 jobs · $64,612Retail20,953 jobs · $42,409Hotels & restaurants11,673 jobs · $29,239Transportation & warehousing11,224 jobs · $61,559Administrative & support8,658 jobs · $50,644Manufacturing8,569 jobs · $70,137
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Orange County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Orange 3.4%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Scotchtown

Scotchtown questions

Is Scotchtown, New York a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Scotchtown scores better for retirees than 5% of New York towns and quieter than 5%. 11.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 36.2).

How much does a house cost in Scotchtown?

The median owner-occupied home in Scotchtown is valued at $344,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $96,689, so homes cost about 3.6 times income. Median rent is $1,813 a month.

What is the weather like in Scotchtown?

July highs average 82.4°F and January lows 17.8°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 44.4 inches of precipitation a year and 46.8 inches of snow.

Does Scotchtown get tornadoes?

5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Scotchtown since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on June 16, 1974. The typical New York town has had 5.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Scotchtown's Census boundary (GEOID 3665882). Comparisons use the median of New York towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.