There is a strong sense of connection to community in Dutchess County. Many people feel that they can have an impact towards making their community a better place to live and many people are active in their communities. However, over three in ten residents intend to relocate when asked whether or not they plan to continue living in the area five years from now. Similarly, 29% of residents in the Mid-Hudson region overall plan to move someplace else in the next five years.
Some demographic groups in the county are more likely than others to plan to move out of the area in the near future. Age is a key factor. About four in ten adults under age forty-five in Dutchess County intend to leave the Mid-Hudson Valley in the next five years compared with just 24% of older adults.
There are also differences based on income. Nearly four in ten residents of Dutchess County with household incomes of less than $50,000 a year plan to move someplace else in the next five years compared with just about a quarter of all residents earning higher household incomes.
Dutchess County residents intend to leave for a variety of reasons, but a majority cites economic factors. 53% of those residents who plan to move away intend to do so because of economic reasons. For instance, 20% of residents planning to relocate cite the cost of living, 15% point to jobs, and 15% mention taxes.
Dutchess County residents who plan to move out of the area are just as likely to cite economic reasons as the average Mid-Hudson Valley resident.
