RANK #612 / 1001 NAT · #41 / 45 NY · POP 79,721
1YR FORECAST: +2.2%
5YR OUTLOOK: +17%
Sullivan County, New York, distinguishes itself as the historic home of the 1969 Woodstock Festival, a legacy honored today by the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts. Located in the Catskill Mountains, about 90 minutes northwest of New York City, the county offers a blend of rural charm and natural beauty. Rolling hills, lakes, and the Delaware River provide extensive outdoor recreation opportunities, including hiking, fishing, kayaking, and camping. Towns like Livingston Manor, Roscoe, Callicoon, and Narrowsburg feature local shops, art galleries, and farm-to-table dining, contributing to a community atmosphere.
Life in Sullivan County attracts a mix of residents, including those seeking a quieter lifestyle, remote workers, and families. The county's public school districts include Eldred, Fallsburg, Liberty, Livingston Manor, Monticello, Roscoe, Sullivan West, and Tri-Valley. Commute times to New York City by car are around two hours, with bus services also available. The economy is seeing new investments, particularly in sectors such as professional and business services, private education and health services, and leisure and hospitality. The Sullivan County International Airport has also undergone modernization, aiming to support tourism and economic growth.
Sullivan County is one of 35 U.S. counties in this market profile — weaker than typical on the BoomTown Index. Within this cohort, its recent home-price change of +5.0% runs above the profile's typical +1.4%.
See all 35 Secondary Market Surge counties →Overvalued relative to economy
Moderate climate & terrain
Housing looks overvalued at 11.0x — home prices are high relative to local economic output. The typical U.S. county is 4–6x.
Estimated local headcount ranges. Larger employers shown as floor + "+"; smaller employers show exact counts where reported.
Bars show trailing 12-month growth. The dashed Forecast bars are the model's next-12-month projection; the whisker marks the ±1% range (cooling–accelerating).
Source: Redfin · Census BPS — Browse sales on Redfin →
Source: Homicide rates from CDC/NCHS vital-statistics mortality data — a multi-year average that stabilizes counts in smaller counties — compiled in the County Health Rankings 2025 release. Rates per 100,000 population; U.S. average ≈ 6.5. Grade reflects homicide rate relative to the national average. Learn more →
See where Sullivan County stands nationally: safest large counties in America · highest homicide-rate counties.
| PROJECT | AMOUNT | STATUS |
|---|---|---|
|
Heartland Industrial Park Data Center Campus
Undisclosed (first tenant is a $65B private investment)
|
$65,000M | Under Construction |
|
Town Line Solar and Battery Storage
RWE Solar Development, LLC
|
$200M | Active in Interconnection Queue |
|
Community Solar Portfolio (Multiple Projects)
Various (e.g., Scale Sustainable I, LLC, Bullrock-NxtGenREA, Delaware River Solar LLC)
|
$50M | Operating/Under Construction |
|
Sullivan County Broadband Project (ConnectALL)
Archtop Fiber (in partnership with Sullivan County)
|
$30M | Under Construction |
Source: public records, news, corporate announcements. Amounts are estimates where noted.
Bars show percentile rank among all 1001 counties.
At 38/100, Sullivan County faces headwinds that place it in the lower third of the 1001 counties we track. Median income of $72,382 combined with job growth of +1.3% suggests the local economy is struggling to keep pace with national trends.
Housing in Sullivan County is roughly in line with national affordability norms. The median home costs $249,000 and the income-to-home-value ratio sits at 0.29, with rents averaging $1,106/month. Not a bargain, but not a stretch for most local earners either.
Sullivan County is growing on multiple fronts. Population is up +0.7% year-over-year while employers added jobs at a +1.3% clip — and home values reflect that momentum, rising +5.0% over the past 12 months.
There's a moderate stream of newcomers. About 3.75% of residents moved from another state, which is above average and suggests Sullivan County has appeal as a relocation destination — though it's not among the highest-inflow counties nationally.
Home values climbed +5.0% year-over-year, which is a solid pace of appreciation. The median home in Sullivan County is now valued at $249,000. That kind of growth typically reflects sustained demand rather than speculative frenzy.