by Ellen Daley of Orange County Chamber of Commerce
Calling Orange County “an integral part of the New York metropolitan area,” New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli paints an encouraging picture of the county. In a recent visit to Chamber headquarters, DiNapoli told a group of Board members and other interested individuals gathered in the Larkin Community Room that Orange County’s excellent quality of life, its extraordinary scenery, history and location -coupled with the fact that it is “one of New York’s economic engines – puts you in a very positive position.”
DiNapoli pointed out that, “Orange County has experienced strong economic growth since 2000. The strength of the local economy combined with the county’s high quality of life has attracted new residents and, as a result, Orange County has experienced the fastest population growth in New York State this decade. Jobs have been plentiful and both unemployment and crime level remain low.
“A number of economic development projects are underway—including the expansion of Stewart Airport – to build on the growth of recent years.”
At a time when $4.++/gallon gasoline and other outside factors are conspiring to scuttle local progress, Orange County, DiNapoli said, has reason to be optimistic. The number of jobs in the county, for example, grew to 128,987 in 2006, an increase of 7.9 percent or 9,400 jobs from the level in 2000. The trade, transportation and utilities industries account for more than one-quarter of all jobs in the county and generated the most new jobs from 2000 to 2006. The educational and health services fields, with 15 percent of the county’s jobs, produced nearly as many new jobs during the same period.
While the unemployment rate in the county has begun to rise, it is still low and remains below the statewide rate. In 2007, the average unemployment rate for Orange County was 4.3 percent, unchanged from the previous year and lower than the statewide rate of 4.5 percent. During the first two months of 2008, the average unemployment rate in Orange County rose to 5.1 percent (from 4.7 percent during the same period last year), but was still lower than the statewide average (5.3 percent).
DiNapoli’s report also pointed out that wages and average salaries in Orange County had grown since the millennium. Total wages rose by 3.9 percent to $4.7 billion in 2006. Since 2000, wages have grown every year, rising by a total of 33.5 percent. Since 2000, wages have grown in all industries in the county except manufacturing, and education and health care services grew the fastest. The average salary in Orange County in 2006 was $36,326, up 3.1 percent from 2005. While government had the highest average salary of any major sector ($47,250), the average salary for the educational and health services sector grew the fastest, at nearly twice the overall pace.
In the housing arena, home values in Orange County more than doubled between 2000 and 2006, rising at an average annual rate of 12.9 percent to reach a median value of $309,000 – the seventh highest among the counties outside of New York City. In 2006, the median home price in Orange County increased by only 4.7 percent, reflecting the start of the slowdown in the real estate market.
The population of Orange County grew to 377,169 in 2007, an increase of 34,142 people since 2000. This growth of 10 percent is the highest rate of growth in the state. White non-Hispanics are the largest group in Orange County, accounting for 71.1 percent of the population in 2006, followed by Hispanics (15.4 percent), Blacks or African-Americans (8.7 percent) and Asians (2.5 percent). While the population for all demographic groups increased between 2000 and 2006, the Hispanic population grew at the fastest rate (45.9 percent).
On another positive note, crime in Orange County has continued to decline in recent years, falling to 22.2 crimes per 1,000 people in 2006, which is lower than the statewide rate of 24.7 crimes per 1,000 people.
As has long been the case, Stewart Airport continues to drive economic development in Orange County. The county will benefit from the planned 10-year $500 million expansion of Stewart Airport. In anticipation of this growth, the NYS Department of Transportation recently completed a $55 million road project to ease traffic congestion around the airport. The county continues to study ways to spur new commercial development in business parks around the airport and is particularly focusing on the possibility of developing new distribution and warehousing centers to accommodate the increase in cargo capacity at Stewart that is expected from the planned expansion.
Just last month, a study into a rail link from the Salisbury Mills Metro-North train station to Stewart Airport got underway, raising the very real possibility of a one-seat ride from Stewart to New York. The MTA has committed $2.7 million for an “Alternatives Analysis,” the first step in making the one-seat ride from Orange County to New York City a reality. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has also committed $2.7 million to the project.
Another of Orange County’s major assets is the waterfront on the Hudson River in the City of Newburgh. Plans are in the works to develop 30 acres of waterfront land, which will include housing, retail and commercial space, along with parks and open space. Construction is expected to begin in 2009.
The information for this article was supplied by the Office of the State Comptroller (http://www.osc.state.ny.us).
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