Government Summary

Orange County has 278,971 voters, with female voters outnumbering male voters by a slight margin. The average age of those registered to vote in 2024 was 49. There are 91,384 people registered as Democrats in the County, 75,507 registered as Republicans, 8,311 registered as Independents, and 5,175 are registered as Conservatives. Close to 65,000 did not register with a political party.

In 2005, Orange County had two people representing it in the US House of Representatives. In 2025, Orange County is represented by one person. In each of the three presidential elections since the 2015 Report (2016, 2020, and 2024), the majority of Orange County voters chose the Republican candidate over the Democratic candidate. In 2004, 46% of Orange County’s eligible voters voted in the presidential election. In 2024, that percentage rose to 54% and was at its highest percentage between 2004 and 2024 in 2012 at 59%.

Orange County has had the same representation in the US Senate for many years, with Senator Schumer serving for the past 26 years and Senator Gillibrand serving for 16 years. With changes in the Congressional map and turnover in elected officials, Orange County’s representation in the House of Representatives has been less stable. As of August 2025, Congressman Ryan was in his second term, serving a total of almost three years. On the New York State level, change has also affected the tenure of elected officials. With long-serving NYS Senators and Assembly representatives retiring over the past several years, Orange County's representational tenure has decreased. Two NYS Senators, Robert Rolison and James Skoufis, have served for two and six years, respectively. In the NYS Assembly, Assembly representatives Karl Brabenec (11 years) and Jonthan Jacobson (8 years) are the longest serving, with Brian Maher and Chris Eachus at 3 years each. On the County level, Steve Neuhaus has been serving as County Executive since 2014.

Orange County has received several DRI & NY Forward grants from the State of New York. As of September 2025, Orange County had received the second-highest number of awards in the Hudson Valley region, with Westchester in first place. Orange County’s total for these awards is $33.5 million.

Bond ratings reflect a community’s financial health. In 2013, Orange County’s Moody’s bond rating was lowered from Aaa, the highest rating, to Aa3. Since that time, however, Orange County’s bond rating has improved to Aa2.

Municipal debt varies from no indebtedness in three communities to millions of dollars in others. In 2012, New York State initiated a fiscal monitoring system to identify municipalities that may be headed for fiscal problems. As a result of the evaluations in 2024, two municipalities in Orange County (Village of Washingtonville and Village of South Blooming Grove) were deemed to be in moderate fiscal distress.

Between 2014 and 2024, Orange County's total revenues, including other sources, increased by 30.5%. Total expenditures, including other uses, increased by 28.3%. In Orange County, revenue from real property taxes and assessments rose 6.6% while sales and use tax increased by 34.7%. In 2024, sales and use tax comprised 49.1% of total revenue and 36.8% of local revenue. General Government Expenditures, Social Services, and Employee Benefits were the three highest expenditures in 2024 and 2014.

The full value tax rate (levy per $1,000 full value) in all Mid-Hudson counties decreased between 2015 and 2025. In Orange County, it decreased by $1.79, which is the third largest decrease in the region, following Sullivan and Ulster counties, respectively. The effective tax rates in all municipalities in Orange County increased between 2006 and 2025.