Rensselaer County, NY

County

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2024 Population

160,332

US Senator

Chuck Schumer

Democratic Party

US Senator

Kirsten Gillibrand

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

40.1

0.249% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

11.8%

0.281% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$87,915

1.44% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$258,400

5.77% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

80,083

0.55% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Rensselaer County, NY reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

97.7% of the residents in Rensselaer County, NY are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Rensselaer County, NY are Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (1,876 degrees awarded in 2023), Hudson Valley Community College (1,451 degrees), and Russell Sage College (688 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Rensselaer County, NY was $258,400, and the homeownership rate was 64.8%.

Most people in Rensselaer County, NY drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 24 minutes. The average car ownership in Rensselaer County, NY was 2 cars per household.

Rensselaer County, NY borders Berkshire County, MA, Albany County, NY, Columbia County, NY, Greene County, NY, Saratoga County, NY, Washington County, NY, and Bennington County, VT.

United States New York Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY

Population & Diversity

Rensselaer County, NY is home to a population of 160k people, from which 97.7% are citizens. As of 2024, 5.35% of Rensselaer County, NY residents were born outside of the country (8.59k people).

In 2024, there were 12.1 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (126k people) in Rensselaer County, NY than any other race or ethnicity. There were 10.4k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 5.12k Asian (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.7%

2024 Citizenship

97.1%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 97.7% of Rensselaer County, NY residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Rensselaer County, NY was 97.1%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Rensselaer County, NY compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Rensselaer County, NY

White (Non-Hispanic)
126k ± 639
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
10.4k ± 742
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
5.12k ± 267

6.15%

Hispanic Population

9.86k people

6.15% of the people in Rensselaer County, NY are hispanic (9.86k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Rensselaer County, NY as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for New York.

Most Common Origin

Dominican Republic
493,200 ± 17,027 people
China
410,969 ± 15,575 people
Jamaica
234,174 ± 11,811 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of New York was Dominican Republic, the natal country of 493,200 New York residents, followed by China with 410,969 and Jamaica with 234,174.

Foreign-Born Population

5.35%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

8.59k people

5.65%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

9.06k people

As of 2024, 5.35% of Rensselaer County, NY residents (8.59k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Rensselaer County, NY was 5.65%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Rensselaer County, NY compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
2,574 ± 383
Gulf War (2001-)
1,618 ± 370
Gulf War (1990s)
926 ± 239

Rensselaer County, NY has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.59 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Rensselaer County, NY.

Economy

The economy of Rensselaer County, NY employs 80.1k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Rensselaer County, NY were Health Care & Social Assistance (11,147 people), Educational Services (9,777 people), and Public Administration (8,391 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($97,279), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($82,457), and Wholesale Trade ($76,000).

Employment

Occupations

80.1k

2024 Value

± 2,167

−0.55%

1 Year decline

± 3.82%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Rensselaer County, NY declined at a rate of −0.55%, from 80.5k employees to 80.1k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Rensselaer County, NY, are Management Occupations (9,279 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (8,833 people), and Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (6,100 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Rensselaer County, NY.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for New York.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in New York (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

80.1k

2024 Value

± 2,167

−0.55%

1 Year decline

± 3.82%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Rensselaer County, NY declined at a rate of −0.55%, from 80.5k employees to 80.1k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Rensselaer County, NY, are Health Care & Social Assistance (11,147 people), Educational Services (9,777 people), and Public Administration (8,391 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Rensselaer County, NY, though some of these residents may live in Rensselaer County, NY and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$63,948

Median earning men ± $2,586

$50,999

Median earning women ± $2,097

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Wholesale Trade ($80,000), Public Administration ($79,530), and Manufacturing ($78,271).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Construction ($70,884), Public Administration ($70,161), and Wholesale Trade ($66,875).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for New York.

Y-Axis

2.74%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 9.56M people employed in New York. This represents a 2.74% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 19.7%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in New York.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

294
Construction
226
Other Services (except Public Administration)
203
Retail Trade

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$802k
Manufacturing
$402k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$225k
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Education

In 2023, universities in Rensselaer County, NY awarded 4,085 degrees. The student population of Rensselaer County, NY in 2023 is skewed towards men, with 9,965 male students and 8,698 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Rensselaer County, NY are White (2,328 and 63.3%), Asian (442 and 12%), Hispanic or Latino (321 and 8.73%), and Black or African American (285 and 7.75%).

The largest universities in Rensselaer County, NY by number of degrees awarded are Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (1,876 and 45.9%), Hudson Valley Community College (1,451 and 35.5%), and Russell Sage College (688 and 16.8%).

The most popular majors in Rensselaer County, NY are Computer Science (305 and 7.47%), General Business Administration & Management (225 and 5.51%), and Registered Nursing (223 and 5.46%).

The median tuition cost in Rensselaer County, NY for private four year colleges is $47,783.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Rensselaer County, NY, the percentage of applicants admitted was 60.1%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 16.2%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 18,663 (53.4% men and 46.6% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 18,663 students enrolled in Rensselaer County, NY, 53.4% men and 46.6% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 10,372 records, of which 49% were women and 51% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Computer Science
250 degrees awarded
Mechanical Engineering
162 degrees awarded
Aerospace, Aeronautical, & Astronautical Engineering
117 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Rensselaer County, NY was Computer Science with 250 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Rensselaer County, NY according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
1,876 degrees awarded
Hudson Valley Community College
1,451 degrees awarded
Russell Sage College
688 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with 1,876 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 2,109 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Rensselaer County, NY, which is 1.07 times more than the 1,976 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 2,328 degrees mean that there were 5.27 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Asian, with 442 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($47,783) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 2-year ($3,215) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 2-year ($1,800) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Rensselaer County, NY was $258,400 in 2024, which is 0.777 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $244,300 to $258,400, a 5.77% increase. The homeownership rate in Rensselaer County, NY is 64.8%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Rensselaer County, NY have an average commute time of 24 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Rensselaer County, NY is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 12.8% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Rensselaer County, NY. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 2.62%.

Housing

Property

$258,400

Median Property Value 2024

±$6,368

$43,190

Median Property Taxes

±$1,408

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Rensselaer County, NY the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Rensselaer County, NY compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

64.8%

Homeownership

2024

63%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 64.8% of the housing units in Rensselaer County, NY were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 64.1%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Rensselaer County, NY compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$87,915

Median Household Income

± $2,391

66.7k

Number of Households

± 1,941

In 2024, the median household income of the 66.7k households in Rensselaer County, NY grew to $87,915 from the previous year's value of $86,663.

The following chart displays the households in Rensselaer County, NY distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Rensselaer County, NY is from New York.

0.493

2023 Wage GINI in New York

0.494

2022 Wage GINI in New York

In 2023, the income inequality in New York was 0.493 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.0797% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for New York was higher than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed less evenly in New York in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in New York across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (72.2%)
Worked At Home (14%)
Carpooled (6.66%)

In 2024, 72.2% of workers in Rensselaer County, NY drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (14%) and those who carpooled to work (6.66%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

24 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Rensselaer County, NY have a shorter commute time (24 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.95% of the workforce in Rensselaer County, NY have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Rensselaer County, NY compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Rensselaer County, NY distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Rensselaer County, NY have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 12.8% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Rensselaer County, NY. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 2.62%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

11.8% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Rensselaer County, NY (18.2k out of 154k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Females 6 - 11.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Rensselaer County, NY is White, followed by Black and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 16.3% of the children was living in poverty in Rensselaer County, NY. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.4%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 305 in Rensselaer County, NY. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 20.9 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

96.6% of the population of Rensselaer County, NY has health coverage, with 51.2% on employee plans, 18.6% on Medicaid, 13.8% on Medicare, 12% on non-group plans, and 0.915% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Rensselaer County, NY see 2,081 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,081 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2422 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 478 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.9% were men and 50.1% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

2,081 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Rensselaer County, NY

Primary care physicians in Rensselaer County, NY see an average of 2,081 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,081 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Rensselaer County, NY in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 20.8% under 18 years, 22.2% between 18 and 34 years, 39% between 35 and 64 years, and 17.9% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.9% were men and 50.1% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

3.39%

Uninsured

51.2%

Employer Coverage

18.6%

Medicaid

13.8%

Medicare

12%

Non-Group

0.915%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Rensselaer County, NY grew by 2.78% from 3.3% to 3.39%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Rensselaer County, NY changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 38.7 in Rensselaer County, NY.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Rensselaer County, NY.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 34.6% in Rensselaer County, NY.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Rensselaer County, NY.