County-to-County Commuter Flow Data

The 2000 Census provided figures for the residential origins and job destinations of all workers. Below is a summary of the data for Dutchess County.  We have also included summary tables for Orange and Ulster Counties.

Where do Dutchess County residents go to earn a living? (.pdf)

The perception that more and more of our residents commute to jobs outside the county was substantiated when the Census Bureau released its 2000 commuter flow data. According to the Census, just 69% (88,963) of all employed county residents (128,437) actually work in Dutchess County. This is a decrease from the 1990 figure of 77% (96,070). Of the 39,474 residents who commute outside Dutchess County, 14,903 (38%) commute to Westchester County and 5,798 (15%) commute to New York City. The most plausible explanation for this trend involves the draw of higher salaries in the immediate NYC metro area. Other areas such as Orange, Putnam, and Ulster counties, and even Connecticut, also provide a significant number of jobs to Dutchess residents.

Which places supply workers to Dutchess County? (.pdf)

Equally intriguing is what the Census tells us about the origins of the people working in Dutchess County.  Of the 114,354 people who work in the County, 88,963 (78%) reside in Dutchess County.  The remaining workers come from neighboring areas such as Ulster County with 10,685 (9%), Orange County with 5,160 (5%), and Columbia County with 2,042 (2%).  Compared to 1990 Census data, the distribution of where in-bound workers originate from has changed little.  Also of note is the decrease in the number of jobs in the county. In 1990, there were 120,905 jobs in the county.  According to the 2000 Census, the county supplied just 114,354 jobs, a drop of 5%.

2000 Orange County Commuter Flow Data (.pdf)
2000 Ulster County Commuter Flow Data (.pdf)