Report: New York Hometown “Invaded By Welfare-Addicted Jews”

A viral YouTube video is making waves over claims about a Hudson Valley village, so we checked the data.

A viral video is making some bold claims about Kiryas Joel

What That Viral YouTube Video Actually Says

The YouTube video about Kiryas Joel, in Orange County, New York, has some loud claims about welfare use, population, and economic conditions.

Hudson Valley Post looked into what’s publicly available and fact-checked it against census data.

The video focuses on Kiryas Joel’s large, fast-growing Hasidic Jewish community. It brings up the number of children and large families, and talks about welfare and government assistance being part of how many households make ends meet.

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According to the video, about 44,000 Hasidic Jews live in the Hasidic community. It claims a large portion of that population receives welfare and government assistance, including food stamps.

The clip mentions high birth rates within the community, noting large average family sizes. It also implies the village doesn’t resemble what many people think of when they hear “poverty.”

What the Numbers Show About Kiryas Joel

According to recent U.S. Census data, around 43,800 people live in Kiryas Joel. Up from about 20,175 in 2010, a rapid growth trend. The community has a very young population, with more than half of the residents under 18.

According to census figures, the median household income is around $43,171 and the per-capita income is roughly $12,973. The official poverty rate, based on federal thresholds, is about 40 percent of residents.

Those are official numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau. They match some of what the video highlights, but officials point out that a high poverty rate doesn’t necessarily reflect hunger or homelessness.

Much of the population is young. Children don’t earn income, which statistically makes poverty rates look higher.