Kiryas Joel voted 99% for Trump.
Life in Kiryas Joel, New York, is shaped by its unique identity as a predominantly Satmar Hasidic Jewish village, now part of the Town of Palm Tree in Orange County. With a population of around 43,863 as of 2024, it’s one of the fastest-growing communities in the U.S., driven by high birth rates (average household size is about six, with some women having 6–15 children) and a median age of around 15, far younger than the national average of 39. The village, founded in the 1970s by Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum’s followers seeking a secluded, Torah-centric life away from Brooklyn, is a tight-knit, insular enclave where Yiddish is the primary language, and adherence to strict religious and cultural norms defines daily life.[](https://www.timesunion.com/projects/2025/shifting-new-york/ultra-orthodox/)[](https://www.reddit.com/r/Urbanism/comments/1isv490/kiryas_joel_ny_one_of_the_most_interesting_cities/)
**Daily Life and Culture**: Residents live according to Satmar Hasidic traditions, emphasizing religious study, family, and community. Men often dedicate time to Torah study, while women typically focus on raising large families, with many not working outside the home. The village is child-centric, with streets filled with kids playing, and community life revolves around synagogues, yeshivas, and kosher businesses like Landau’s Supermarket and Yossi’s Café. Events like Simchat Torah draw thousands for communal celebrations, reinforcing unity. Modest dress and gender separation are strictly observed, and a welcome sign at the village entrance requests visitors respect these customs. Despite a reported 70% poverty rate, community programs like Tomchei Shabbos ensure no one goes hungry, and crime is virtually nonexistent due to the close-knit, homogenous nature of the village.[](https://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/21/nyregion/kiryas-joel-a-village-with-the-numbers-not-the-image-of-the-poorest-place.html)[](https://friedavizel.com/2018/05/26/from-quora-what-is-it-like-to-live-in-kiryas-joel-new-york/)[](https://www.worldatlas.com/destination/why-new-york-s-fastest-growing-city-should-be-on-your-radar.html)
**Education**: Education prioritizes religious studies, with the United Talmudical Academy offering a curriculum heavy on Torah and Jewish law, alongside limited secular subjects like math and science. Most children attend private yeshivas, with boys starting at age two and a half, attending six days a week. The Kiryas Joel Village Union Free School District, created in 1989, serves only Hasidic children with disabilities, channeling public funds to private religious schools, which has sparked legal controversies over church-state separation. Secular education is minimal, with less than 40% of residents holding a high school degree, and women often receive little formal education.[](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/20/nyregion/kiryas-joel-hasidic-school-district.html)[](https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/kiryas-joel)[](https://www.homes.com/local-guide/kiryas-joel-ny/)
**Economy and Self-Sufficiency**: Despite being labeled the poorest municipality in the U.S., with a per capita income of $4,494 and 40% of residents on food stamps or welfare, Kiryas Joel thrives through communal support and self-sufficiency. Local businesses, like kosher groceries and eateries, cater to residents’ needs, and the community leverages federal and state grants (e.g., $40 million annually in block grants) to support infrastructure and services like a postpartum recovery center. Employment opportunities are limited due to the focus on religious study, but the community’s political clout ensures access to resources.[](https://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/21/nyregion/kiryas-joel-a-village-with-the-numbers-not-the-image-of-the-poorest-place.html)[](https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/kiryas-joel)
**Housing and Growth**: The village’s rapid growth—doubling from 20,000 in 2010 to over 43,000 by 2024—has led to crowded multi-family housing, primarily apartments and condos. New units are built constantly to accommodate large families, but this strains local resources like water and social services. Annexation efforts to expand the village’s 1.1-square-mile area have caused tensions with neighboring Monroe, Blooming Grove, and Woodbury, whose residents view the high-density development as a threat to their suburban quality of life.[](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiryas_Joel%2C_New_York)[](https://www.thirteen.org/blog-post/kiryas-joel-monroe-annex-dispute/)[](https://www.timesunion.com/projects/2025/shifting-new-york/ultra-orthodox/)
**Community Dynamics and Politics**: Kiryas Joel operates as a powerful voting bloc, with 99% of residents voting for Trump in 2020, reflecting a shift toward conservative politics aligned with religious liberty values, similar to white Christian conservatives. The community has faced legal battles, including a 1994 Supreme Court case ruling its school district violated the Establishment Clause, though subsequent legislation legalized it. Internal factionalism, such as disputes between followers of different Satmar rebbes, has led to lawsuits over governance. The 2019 creation of the Town of Palm Tree, named after Rabbi Teitelbaum, solidified the community’s political autonomy.[](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiryas_Joel%2C_New_York)[](https://forward.com/culture/482791/how-a-hasidic-village-kiryas-joel-satmar-new-york-went-all-in-for-trump/)[](https://www.homes.com/local-guide/kiryas-joel-ny/)
**Challenges and Perceptions**: Life in Kiryas Joel can feel isolated, with limited English proficiency and minimal interaction with outsiders. Some residents, like former resident Frieda Vizel, describe a sense of communal warmth but also repression, particularly for women, due to strict gender roles and limited secular education. Outsiders, including nearby residents, often view the village with suspicion, citing its reliance on public funds and expansionist policies. Posts on X highlight mixed sentiments, with some criticizing the community’s insularity and welfare use, while others defend its peaceful, family-oriented ethos. Visitors note the village’s unique atmosphere, likening it to an “urbanized Amish” community or a recreated Eastern European shtetl.[](https://www.reddit.com/r/Urbanism/comments/1isv490/kiryas_joel_ny_one_of_the_most_interesting_cities/)[](https://friedavizel.com/2018/05/26/from-quora-what-is-it-like-to-live-in-kiryas-joel-new-york/)
**Living Experience**: For residents, Kiryas Joel offers safety, cultural cohesion, and a spiritually rich life, but it comes with trade-offs: limited economic mobility, restricted education, and tension with neighbors. For outsiders, it’s a fascinating but challenging place to visit due to strict rules and cultural differences. The village’s compact size makes amenities walkable, but there are no conventional tourist attractions, and public transit is limited, with Manhattan a 55-mile commute. Healthcare is accessible via community facilities like Aizer Health Center.[](https://www.mapquest.com/us/new-york/kiryas-joel-ny-282094132)[](https://www.homes.com/local-guide/kiryas-joel-ny/)
In summary, life in Kiryas Joel is deeply communal, faith-driven, and insulated, with strong social support but significant constraints on individual freedom and secular opportunities. Its rapid growth and political influence make it a unique case study in American religious communities, though it remains controversial among neighbors and observers. For the latest insights, checking local sources like the Kiryas Joel Village website or recent news would provide more context.[](https://www.worldatlas.com/destination/why-new-york-s-fastest-growing-city-should-be-on-your-radar.html)
Who cares? That's not the point.
The point is, blacks and Jews (and other minorities) can have their own communities, whereas white gentiles are demonized if they attempt it.
But here's a weirdly contradictory piece from your article:
40% of residents on food stamps or welfare, Kiryas Joel thrives through communal support and self-sufficiency ... and federal and state grants (e.g., $40 million annually in block grants)
How are they "self-sufficient" when they receive so much welfare?
Would they have voted for Trump had he threatened their welfare?
A whites-only community would never receive federal and state grants, but would barely be permitted to exist.
A big difference is that while Kiryas Joel seeks food stamps, welfare and government grants, the Amish refuse them.
The Amish community does not typically participate in government programs such as food stamps and other forms of public assistance. This is due in large part to their belief in self-sufficiency and their aversion to dependence on outside sources. The community tends to rely on their own resources and support systems such as family, church, and community networks.
“.. but significant constraints on individual freedom and secular opportunities…”
It sure how secular opportunities figure in but individual freedom wouldn’t be a problem. There’s no wall around Kiryas Joel that I’ve noticed.