A peaceful lifestyle awaits on the Delaware River in Tusten
Tusten rests on the Pennsylvania border in southwestern New York. The town’s 1,400 residents are spread across a collection of hamlets and wooded communities, with ponds and rivers woven throughout the landscape. Its best-known hamlet is Narrowsburg, where a handful of shops and restaurants line the bank of the Delaware River. Although Tusten is rural and remote enough to offer a peaceful lifestyle, Routes 97 and 52 keep residents connected to nearby towns.
Outdoor activities are a big part of life
Most of Tusten is rural, with narrow roads that wind through evergreen forests. Narrowsburg has a gas station, and you can pick up groceries at Pete’s Market. There’s also a pocket-sized town center with a few restaurants, but there’s not much commercial activity beyond that. But you don’t have to go far to find things to do, though. Here are a few of the things you’ll be able to do around Tusten:
- Canoe and kayak on the Delaware River
- Fish for trout, walleye and smallmouth bass
- Hunt for deer, black bear and turkey
- Enjoy scenic drives along the Upper Delaware
- Take a trip through history at the Fort Delaware Museum
The cost of owning a home in Tusten
Prices start in the mid-$100,000s for ranch-style houses, but modern contemporary homes with water access can go for over a million. Some homes date to the 1800s, while others were built as recently as 2025. Styles range from American Foursquare to contemporary Craftsman, and most properties measure several acres, with huge yards and wooded areas. Property taxes in Sullivan County trend higher than the national average, and older homes might require maintenance or repairs.
How Tusten stacks up against nearby towns on the Delaware
Just about all of the riverside towns and hamlets in this area have community events and markets that give them their own distinctive charm. But how does Tusten stack up against the rest? “Tusten has a similar vibe to Lumberland , but it’s farther down Route 97,” says Edward Rabon , a Realtor with the Upstate Curious team of Compass Greater New York who’s been selling in the area for three years. Lumberland is also a bit quieter and more rural than Tusten, since it doesn't have a commercial downtown area like Narrowsburg. Ditto for Cochecton , which is a short distance north. If you’re looking for something in that vein, Delaware is home to the hamlet of Callicoon, where seasonal festivals and a year-round farmers market keep things lively.
Towns like Monticello and Port Jervis are about half an hour away
There aren’t many jobs available in Tusten. Most people commute to nearby towns like Monticello and Port Jervis, both roughly half an hour away. That’s also where you’ll find the closest shopping centers, although groceries are available at Pete’s Market in Narrowsburg. “It’s a 25-minute drive to your Walmart, your Home Depot, stuff like that,” Rabon says. Garnet Health Medical Center – Catskills in Callicoon and Wayne Memorial Hospital in Honesdale, Pennsylvania, are both about half an hour away. The drive to New York takes a little more than two hours, so it’s a bit far for daily commutes, but a lot of people who live in the city have second homes in this area.
Utility companies serving the Tusten area
If you buy a home in a rural area, the property will have its own well and septic system. But if you live in Narrowsburg, you’ll probably be on the town’s water and sewer system. Here are some of the other utility providers that serve the area:
- NYS Electric and Gas
- Central Hudson Gas and Electric
- Orange and Rockland Utilities
- Frontier Fiber Internet
- Spectrum TV
The Tusten Energy Committee promotes solar energy, recycling and other sustainability efforts. A solar array powers the municipal buildings and facilities, and streetlights were converted to LEDs in 2019.
Schools in the Sullivan West Central School are 15 to 30 minutes away
Kids can attend schools in the Sullivan West Central School District. The elementary school serves students from prekindergarten through sixth grade, and it’s about half an hour away in Jeffersonville. For grades 7 through 12, students move to Sullivan West High School at Lake Huntington, about 15 minutes away.
Flood risk is minimal, but wildlife management is a concern
Even though Tusten is right on the river, the area’s topography means flooding isn’t much of an issue. “If there are riverfront properties, everybody is pretty much built above the hundred-year flood line,” says Rabon.
Wildlife management has been an issue in the past, as locals have complained about deer herds and geese encroaching on residential areas. The increasing deer population can lead to more cases of tick-borne infections like Lyme disease. It’s a good idea to take precautions against tick bites and perform regular checks after spending time outdoors.
