Ulster Strong works to build a better community for all by advancing sustainable growth and broad economic opportunity throughout Ulster County.

ULSTER STRONG SUPPORTS

Growing local good-paying jobs

Advancing new local investments

Building new local housing, especially workforce and affordable options

Protecting local environmentally-sensitive assets

Diversifying the local economy to be resilient in good and bad times

Updating local planning and development procedures to be more transparent and timely.

Growing the local tax base to support schools, infrastructure and emergency services

WHY IS ULSTER STRONG NEEDED?

New investor and developer interest in Ulster County New York presents a unique opportunity for growth and renewal. 

Our community stands at a crossroads on how this interest can be encouraged and

focused in ways that are smart, sustainable, and facilitates broad-based opportunity.

Ulster Strong’s mission will be to engage the public on these issues and opportunities,

encourage discussion, and support smart investment and growth opportunities.

Visit the Ulster Strong Blog for news, opinion, articles, and more.

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Where’s Ulster County?

Ulster County is less than 100 miles north of New York City (less than a 2 hour drive), 60 miles south of Albany and about 150 miles from both Boston and Philadelphia. The County sits in the heart of the fertile Hudson River Valley with the Hudson River on its eastern edge. Within its 1,161 square miles lies the Catskill Park and Forest Preserve where there are more than 1/4 million acres of forever-wild woodlands.

Ulster is accessible by car at New York Thurway exits 18, 19 and 20; by train to the Poughkeepsie and Rhinecliff stations; by bus on Adirondack Trailways; and by air to Stewart International Airport in Newburgh and Albany International Airport, each less than an hour away.

Why Ulster?

Ulster County’s strategic location and exceptional quality of life make this the ideal location to operate a business. Ulster County features:

• Easy access to every major market in the Northeast
• Unparalleled four-season living
• Extraordinary value with the region’s lowest cost of doing business
• A ready and skilled workforce
• Expert economic development assistance to facilitate solutions
• Aggressive New York State and local incentive programs, including START-UP NY

Competitive Wages

Ulster County is the only county in the Lower- and Mid-Hudson Valley where employers do not have to pay the Metropolitan Commuter Transportation Mobility Tax. Ulster County also has a competitive wage structure, with an average private annual salary of $33,558, compared with $53,733 in the Hudson Valley and $64,007 in the State.