Ulster County
Building in Ulster County, NY: zoning by town
Ulster County is where a lot of land-first building happens in the Hudson Valley, and the zoning changes the moment you cross a town line. Woodstock caps short-term rental nights, Kingston runs a form-based code with zero-setback main-street zones, and the rural towns swing from half-acre to five-acre minimums. Pick a town below for the actual districts, setbacks, and STR rules - the figures come straight from each municipality's code.
Working out a budget too? A standard-finish build in Ulster County runs $206–$270/sq ft - see the full cost-to-build breakdown by system.
The Ulster County market at a glance
Ulster has seen substantial in-migration post-2020 with remote workers and second-home buyers from NYC. The Hudson Valley's most diverse market -- from Kingston urban core to deep Catskill rural. Fastest growth in 20 years driven by remote worker and second-home influx.
How much gets built here
Builders pulled 521 residential permits across Ulster County in 2024, up from 342 in 2021. New supply is the lever that actually moves affordability, so a county's permit pace is the clearest read on whether its housing pipeline is open or stalled.
Permits: U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey.
On the supply side, Ulster County has roughly 11,932 vacant residential parcels on the tax rolls, with vacant land assessed around $17k/acre. See where it sits on the land-inventory and price-per-acre maps.
Short-term rental market
Strong STR market anchored by Woodstock, Saugerties, and New Paltz. Weekend demand from NYC drives 65-80% occupancy peaks May-Oct. STR rules are set town by town, though — each town page below shows where they stand.
20 municipalities
Sizing up a specific parcel in Ulster County?
Aldo pulls the exact zoning district, setbacks, and build feasibility for any parcel — before you buy. Enter your email to open Aldo and run your free report.
Zoning compiled from municipal codes for decision-support only - not legal, engineering, or architectural advice. Verify with the municipality before relying on any figure. County demographics: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2024). Building permits: U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey. Vacant-land counts: NYS statewide tax parcels.