Census Data for Wappingers Falls
Population ...
The most recent Census Estimate<1> was for 2019 and it gave Wappingers Falls a population of 5,540 people.
The last Decennial Census<2> was in 2010, which gave Wappingers Falls a population of 5,522 people.
The village of Wappingers Falls is located in Dutchess County. The 2010 Census gave Dutchess County; a population of 297,488 people. This means that Wappingers Falls had 1.86% of the county's total population, making it Dutchess' 15th most populous community.
At the same time, New York had a population of 19,378,102 people, meaning that Wappingers Falls had 0.03% of the total population of New York - making it the state's 438th most populous community.
Area ...
The 2010 Census shows that the sampling area for Wappingers Falls has a total area of 1.18 square miles [3.1 km²]. Of this total, 1.11 square miles [2.9 km²] is land, with the balance (6.42%) being water (0.08 square miles [0.2 km²]).
Dutchess County has a land area of 795 square miles [2,060.7 km²]. At 1.11 square miles [2.9 km²], Wappingers Falls has 0.14% of the county's total land area.
- Continue Reading ...
- When the Census Bureau conducts a census for a village like Wappingers Falls, they draw a boundary around the area in which they are going to conduct their count - this defines the sampling area (usually a polygon). The shape of the sampling area can be quite complex and it's important to keep in mind that the boundaries of the sampling area may or may not match the recognized boundaries of the village.
- Things like population, area and housing for Wappingers Falls reflect the sampling area. Since the shape of the sampling area and the actual boundaries of Wappingers Falls might be different, it's best to check with the U.S. Census Bureau to resolve any difference between the two.
- Not only does the sampling area define boundaries, it also has a GPS location (latitude & longitude) that indicates a point within the sampling area (usually the center of the polygon, known as the centroid). At the time of the 2010 Census, the sampling area was located at:
- Lat: 41° 35' 53" (or 41.6°)
- Lon: -73° 55' 1" (or -73.92°)
- More information on this topic and the changes between the 2000 Census and the 2010 Census can be found in the section for our Census-to-Census Observations ... (see below).
Housing Units ...
At the time of the 2010 Census, Wappingers Falls had 2,443 Housing Units<3> and with its population of 5,522 people, this averages 2.26 people per Housing Unit.
- Continue Reading ...
- The 2010 Census shows Wappingers Falls had a land area of 1.11 square miles [2.9 km²]. This translates to 2,063 Housing Units per square mile [796 housing units/km²].
- From the Census of 2000: Wappingers Falls had 2,119 Housing Units, a population of 4,929 people and a land area of 1.14 square miles [3 km²]. This gives a density of 2.33 people per Housing Unit and 1,757 Housing Units per square mile [678 housing units/km²].
- Note: Repeating the caution above (under Population Density), be aware that when comparing Housing Units between the 2010 and the 2000 Census, there were changes in the sampling area for Wappingers Falls and you need to be careful when comparing between the censuses. More information about the changes can be found in the section called Census-to-Census Observations ... (see below).
Dutchess County ...
Wappingers Falls<4> is located in Dutchess County<5>.
The county had a population of 297,488 people at the 2010 Census. With it's population of 5,522 people, Wappingers Falls represented 1.86% of the county's total.
In addition, where the village of Wappingers Falls has a population density of 4,663 people per square mile [1,800 people/km²], Dutchess County averages 373.9 people per square mile [144.4 people/km²].
For more information, please visit our Census Page for Dutchess County.
Census-to-Census Observations ...
Introduction ...
When the Census Bureau takes a census count (or enumeration) for Wappingers Falls, they start by specifying the boundaries of the area to be counted. This area (or sampling area) is a polygon and its shape can be quite complex - it may or may not match the geographical boundaries of Wappingers Falls. It's important to note that from one Census to the next, the shape and location of the polygon can change.
- Continue Reading ...
- Although we don't have specific information about the shape of the polygon for Wappingers Falls or how it changed has over time, there is some information that can give us some hints. For example, since the shape of the sampling area is directly related to the shape of the polygon, any change to area probably indicates a new shape for the polygon.
- If you need precision or details about the methodology of the Census, you should visit the U.S. Census Bureau for a definitive answer.
Location ...
While generally coinciding with the GPS location (latitude/longitude) of Wappingers Falls, the latitude and longitude given by the Census Bureau actually indicates the GPS location of the polygon for Wappingers Falls.
- Continue Reading ...
- For the 2010 Census, the location was given as:
- Lat: 41.598157° (or 41°35'53" N)
- Lon: -73.916967° (or -73°55'1" W)
- For the 2000 Census, the location given was:
- Lat: 41.599093° (or 41°35'56" N)
- Lon: -73.918077° (or -73°55'5" W)
- The difference indicates that the U.S. Census Bureau moved the location of the polygon for the 2010 Census 456.1 feet to the southeast<6> of the location that was used in the 2000 Census.
- The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN) have assigned a unique GNIS identifier (#2391193) to Wappingers Falls. This identifier also marks a GPS point on the map, and that point lies within the boundaries of Wappingers Falls. The GNIS point has been mapped to the latitude/longitude:
- Lat: 41.598667° (or 41°35'55" N)
- Lon: -73.917859° (or -73°55'4" W)
- The GPS location given for the 2010 Census lies 306.1 feet to the southeast<7> of the point given by the GNIS for Wappingers Falls. For more information about this and the relationship of the various Federal Codes, please visit our Misc Page for Wappingers Falls.
Miscellaneous Information for Wappingers Falls ...
The Federal government has assigned various identifying codes to each community, county and state. At one time or another, the US Census Bureau has used one (or more) of the following identifiers when referring to either Dutchess County or the village of Wappingers Falls:
- The GNIS Codes ...
- The FIPS Codes ...
- An earlier (and largely obsolete) identification method was called the Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS):
- State Code: 36 (New York)
- County Code: 027 (Dutchess County)
- Place Code: 78168 (Wappingers Falls)
- State & County Code: 36/027 (New York / Dutchess County)
- State & Place Code: 36/78168 (New York / Wappingers Falls)
- Misc. Census Codes ...
- Wappingers Falls is located in Census Region #1 (the Northeast Region) and Division #2 (the Middle Atlantic Division).
For more information about the various Federal identification codes, please visit our Misc Page for Wappingers Falls.
Off-the-Road Links ...
Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Wappingers Falls. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.
The official website for Dutchess County: www.dutchessny.gov/
The official website for State of New York: https://www.ny.gov/
The official website of the U.S. Census Bureau
The official website of the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN)
The official website of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
Footnotes ...
| <1> | Every year, the US Census Bureau creates a population estimate for the preceeding year. Keep in mind that this value is an estimate and not an actual count. The most recent Census estimate is for the year 2019. |
| <2> | Every 10 years (eg- 1990, 2000, 2010), the US Census Bureau conducts a Constitutionally-mandated count (or enumeration) of people living within the United States. This count is called a Decennial Census. The last Decennial Census was the 2010 Census, with the next one planned for 2020. |
| <3> | A Housing Unit is a broad term for those places where people live (whether occupied or temporarily vacant), such as a house, an apartment, a mobile home, or an area that is considered as a separate living quarter. Separate living quarters (consisting of one or more rooms) are considered to be those places where people live, sleep and eat separately from others and that have access to the outside (either directly or by a shared hallway). |
| <4> | It's a common practice for mapmakers to remove the apostrophe from possessive names. So Wappingers Falls may originally have been Wappinger's Falls. Sometimes the trailing 's' might be dropped altogether, in which case Wappingers Falls might be written as Wappinger Falls. For more information, please visit our Genealogy Helper Page for Wappingers Falls. |
| <5> | If you're interested in how the shape of New York's counties, including Dutchess, have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. |
| <6> | The calculated bearing (or angle) to the 2010 Census location is 221 degrees and a distance of 456.1 feet. |
| <7> | The calculated bearing (or angle) to the GNIS point is 232 degrees and a distance of 306.1 feet. |