While 10469 is the primary ZIP Code of Baychester, it also covers the adjacent neighborhood of Pelham Gardens, Bronx.

The area is low lying and flat; some parts of the East Bronx are built on marshland and valleys.

The area was formerly home to the amusement park Freedomland U.S.A., opened in 1959 and closed in 1964 on the site of what is now Co-op City.

Part of the neighborhood, bounded by Boston, Eastchester, and Gun Hill Roads, is alternately referred to as Fish Bay.

[9] In 2018, an estimated 22% of Baychester and Williamsbridge residents lived in poverty, compared to 25% in all of the Bronx and 20% in all of New York City.

Based on this calculation, as of 2018[update], Baychester and Williamsbridge are considered high-income relative to the rest of the city and not gentrifying.

[6]: 14 The concentration of fine particulate matter, the deadliest type of air pollutant, in Baychester and Williamsbridge is 0.0075 milligrams per cubic metre (7.5×10−9 oz/cu ft), the same as the city average.

[18] Baychester and Williamsbridge generally have a lower rate of college-educated residents than the rest of the city as of 2018[update].

[6]: 6  The percentage of Baychester and Williamsbridge students excelling in math rose from 32% in 2000 to 48% in 2011, though reading achievement remained constant at 37% during the same time period.

[19] Baychester and Williamsbridge's rate of elementary school student absenteeism is slightly higher than the rest of New York City.

[7]: 24 (PDF p. 55) [6]: 6  Additionally, 70% of high school students in Baychester and Williamsbridge graduate on time, about the same as the citywide average of 75%.

[6]: 6 The New York Public Library (NYPL)'s Eastchester branch is located at 1385 East Gun Hill Road.