Scarsdale, New York facts for kids

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"Scarsdale" redirects here. For other uses, see Scarsdale (disambiguation).

Quick facts for kids

Scarsdale, New York

Town

The Scarsdale Post Office

Seal

Logo

Location of Scarsdale, New York

Scarsdale, New York

Location in New York

Scarsdale, New York

Location in the United States

Settled

March 21, 1701

Incorporated (town)

March 7, 1788

Incorporated (village)

May 24, 1915

Named for

Sutton Scarsdale, England

Area

• Total

6.68 sq mi (17.31 km²)

• Land

6.67 sq mi (17.29 km²)

• Water

0.01 sq mi (0.02 km²)

Elevation

217 ft (66 m)

Population

(2020)

• Total

18,253

• Density

2,734.53/sq mi (1,055.78/km²)

Time zone

UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))

• Summer (DST)

UTC−4 (EDT)

ZIP Code

10583

Area code(s)

914

FIPS code

36-65431

GNIS feature

0977410

Website

www.scarsdale.com

Scarsdale is a town in Westchester County, New York, United States. It's a special kind of town because it works like a village government. In 2020, about 18,253 people lived in Scarsdale.

Discovering Scarsdale's Past

Early Days: Colonial Scarsdale

The land that became Scarsdale was bought by Caleb Heathcote in the late 1600s. On March 21, 1701, it was made a "royal manor," which was like a large estate given by the king. Caleb named it after his family's home in England, Sutton Scarsdale.

In 1712, the first count of people showed twelve inhabitants, including seven enslaved Africans. After Caleb died in 1721, his daughters took over the property. The large estate was later divided in 1774. The town of Scarsdale was officially started on March 7, 1788.

During the American Revolution, there was a small fight between American and British soldiers in Scarsdale. The British commander, Sir William Howe, stayed in a farmhouse that is still there today. Scarsdale's history during the war inspired James Fenimore Cooper's book, The Spy. He wrote it while living in the Heathcote area of town.

Growing Up: From Farms to Suburbs (1790-1945)

In 1790, Scarsdale had 281 people, mostly farmers. By 1840, the number dropped slightly to 255. But things changed when the New York and Harlem Railroad connected Scarsdale to New York City in 1846. This brought more people who wanted to live in Scarsdale and travel to the city for work.

Scarsdale Woman's Club - Historic Oak Tree (September 2012)

In 1891, a company bought a large farm and turned it into a neighborhood of single-family homes. This started Scarsdale's change from a rural area to a suburban one. New groups and buildings appeared, like the Heathcote Association (1904) and the Scarsdale Woman's Club (1918).

Schools were also built: Scarsdale High School and Greenacres Elementary School in 1912, and Edgewood Elementary School in 1918. The first store opened in 1912. By 1915, Scarsdale's population was almost 3,000, and by 1930, it was nearly 10,000.

In 1940, a German agent named Gerhardt Alois Westrick secretly met with American business leaders at his Scarsdale home. When the public found out, his family had to leave, and he was sent out of the country for acting against the United States.

Modern Scarsdale: After 1945

Harwood Court

In the 1950s, a group in Scarsdale claimed there were problems in the public schools. However, a full investigation by the town found that these claims were not true. Later, in 1963, this same group tried to stop a benefit concert for the Freedom Riders at the high school. They didn't like some of the performers, like Ossie Davis and Pete Seeger.

Another important event happened in 1961 at the Scarsdale Country Club. The club had a rule that didn't allow Jewish people. When a young man who had converted from Judaism to the Episcopal Church was not allowed to attend an event, a local church leader spoke out against the club's policy. This event helped change attitudes and reduce unfair treatment in the town.

Scarsdale's public library moved into its current building in 1951. Before that, it was in the historic Wayside Cottage. A New York City publisher, S. Spencer Scott, helped raise money for the new library. It opened with 27,000 books.

The last of the town's five elementary schools, Heathcote School, opened in 1953. It was a million-dollar building designed by famous architects.

In 1967, former Scarsdale resident and U.S. Secretary of State Dean Rusk received an award from the town. He was met with a silent protest because of the Vietnam War.

Scarsdale was part of two important U.S. Supreme Court cases in 1985. These cases, ACLU v. Scarsdale and Board of Trustees of Scarsdale v. McCreary, were about whether religious displays, like nativity scenes, could be placed on public property. The court decided that local religious groups could put them up.

Several historic places in Scarsdale are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These include the Caleb Hyatt House, Scarsdale Railroad Station, Scarsdale Woman's Club, United States Post Office, and Wayside Cottage.

Scarsdale's Historians

Scarsdale has official historians who keep track of its past. Richard Lederer was the first, followed by Irving J. Sloan, and then Eric Rothschild.

Exploring Scarsdale's Location

Where is Scarsdale?

Scarsdale is about 7 miles from the edge of New York City and 20 miles from Midtown Manhattan. You can get to Midtown Manhattan by Metro-North Railroad express train in about 30 minutes. The village covers about 6.6 square miles, with a very small amount of that being water.

Scarsdale's Weather

Scarsdale has a humid continental climate, which means it has four clear seasons. Winters are cold and snowy, while summers are hot and humid. Temperatures rarely drop below 0 degrees Fahrenheit.

Climate data for Scarsdale, New York
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	73 (23)	75 (24)	86 (30)	96 (36)	97 (36)	99 (37)	104 (40)	102 (39)	101 (38)	89 (32)	82 (28)	77 (25)	104 (40)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	39.2 (4.0)	42.9 (6.1)	51.4 (10.8)	62.6 (17.0)	73.8 (23.2)	81.6 (27.6)	86.0 (30.0)	83.9 (28.8)	76.1 (24.5)	65.4 (18.6)	55.1 (12.8)	43.8 (6.6)	63.5 (17.5)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	20.1 (−6.6)	22.3 (−5.4)	29.1 (−1.6)	38.4 (3.6)	47.2 (8.4)	56.8 (13.8)	62.3 (16.8)	60.8 (16.0)	53.0 (11.7)	41.2 (5.1)	34.6 (1.4)	25.6 (−3.6)	41.0 (5.0)
Record low °F (°C)	−10 (−23)	−5 (−21)	2 (−17)	17 (−8)	29 (−2)	38 (3)	49 (9)	44 (7)	34 (1)	27 (−3)	12 (−11)	−4 (−20)	−10 (−23)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	3.56 (90)	2.84 (72)	4.07 (103)	4.16 (106)	4.33 (110)	3.44 (87)	4.20 (107)	3.93 (100)	4.37 (111)	3.67 (93)	4.09 (104)	3.80 (97)	46.46 (1,180)
Average snowfall inches (cm)	9.8 (25)	10.9 (28)	6.8 (17)	1.4 (3.6)	.2 (0.51)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	.1 (0.25)	.8 (2.0)	8.6 (22)	38.6 (98)
Average rainy days (≥ 0.01 in)	8.5	8.1	9.3	9.8	10.9	9.3	9.0	8.7	7.6	6.7	9.2	9.4	113.4
Source 1: Weatherbase
Source 2: Homefacts (precipitation only) The Weather Channel (extremes)

Scarsdale's Neighborhoods

Scarsdale has five main neighborhoods. Each one has its own public elementary school: Greenacres, Fox Meadow, Heathcote, Quaker Ridge, and Edgewood.

Who Lives in Scarsdale?

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1920	3,506	—
1930	9,690	176.4%
1940	12,966	33.8%
1950	13,156	1.5%
1960	17,968	36.6%
1970	19,229	7.0%
1980	17,650	−8.2%
1990	16,987	−3.8%
2000	17,823	4.9%
2010	17,166	−3.7%
2020	18,253	6.3%
U.S. Decennial Census

In 2020, Scarsdale had 18,253 people living in 5,510 homes. About 68.5% of the people were White, 21.0% were Asian, and 1.3% were Black or African American. About 5.1% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

Many homes (53%) had children under 18 living there. The average household had about 3.31 people. About 31% of the population was under 18, and 14.7% was 65 or older. The average age was 42 years.

In 2022, the average household income was very high, over $568,000. Most adults (90%) had a college degree or higher. Only a small number of people (2.9%) lived below the poverty line.

About 25% of the people in Scarsdale were born in other countries. Of these, 44% came from Asia and 31% from Europe.

Different Cultures in Scarsdale

Scarsdale has been a popular place for Japanese people working in the U.S. because of its good homes and schools. Many Japanese businesses also opened to serve this community.

Scarsdale also has a large and active Jewish population. In recent years, more people from India and China have also moved to the town.

Arts, Culture, and Fun in Scarsdale

The Scarsdale Public Library

Scarsdale Public Library

The Scarsdale Public Library is part of the Westchester Library System. It's a big building with over 147,000 books and other materials. The library was recently renovated and reopened in 2021. Each year, people check out about 397,084 items from the library.

Historic Places to Visit

You can visit several historic sites in Scarsdale that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These include the Caleb Hyatt House, the Scarsdale Railroad Station, the Scarsdale Woman's Club, the United States Post Office, and the Wayside Cottage.

Exciting Events in Scarsdale

Scarsdale hosts fun events throughout the year. The Scarsdale Town Pool was used for swimming events in the 2007 Empire State Games. Scarsdale also has the Scarsdale Concours d'Elegance, which is an annual car show that raises money for charity. There's also the Southern Westchester Food and Wine Festival.

Learning in Scarsdale: Schools and Education

Scarsdale High School from the Brewster Road entrance

The Scarsdale Union Free School District runs five elementary schools: Edgewood, Fox Meadow, Greenacres, Heathcote, and Quaker Ridge. It also has Scarsdale Middle School and Scarsdale High School. Heathcote Elementary School won the National Blue Ribbon Award in 2020, and Scarsdale High School won it in 1983.

The French-American School of New York (FASNY) has a preschool campus in Scarsdale. Catholic schools in Westchester County are managed by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York.

Scarsdale News and Media

The Scarsdale Inquirer was a weekly newspaper that reported on local news, starting in 1901. However, it stopped publishing in January 2024. Scarsdale10583.com also provides weekly news. Scarsdale has its own public access TV channels: Scarsdale Public Television (SPTV), Scarsdale Government Television, and Scarsdale Public Schools (SPS) TV.

Getting Around Scarsdale: Transportation and Services

Transportation Options

Scarsdale railroad station

The Metro-North Railroad has a stop at the Scarsdale station, making it easy to travel to New York City. Scarsdale is also served by the Bee-Line Bus System.

Fire and Rescue Services

Scarsdale has a Fire Department with both full-time professional firefighters and volunteers. They provide fire and rescue protection. There are three fire stations in the village. The Fire Department started in 1893.

Police Department

The Scarsdale Police Department was started in 1909. Today, it has 45 full-time police officers and other staff. The department is divided into three main parts: Investigations, Patrol, and Support Services. Sadly, two officers, Sgt. John J. Harrison and Officer Charles Ackerly, have died while on duty.