Schenectady is a city of 68,847 people in New York. 46% of homes are owner-occupied. There are 6,370 people per square mile. 23.8% of people here live below the federal poverty line. The typical home is worth $168,800, having more than doubled since 2000. Households here earn about 32% less than in New York as a whole.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $58,399, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 36.1
US median: 38.9
Less educated
25% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 34%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Schenectady
What changed most since 1990
White share87.3% → 47.5%(−39.9 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Median home value (2024 dollars)$194,406 → $168,800(−13%)US over the same years: +67%
Black share8.4% → 18.7%(+10.3 pts)US over the same years: +0.2 pts
Schenectady's population equals 43% of Schenectady County's. Its number of residents living in poverty equals 77% of the county's. Its number of households without a car equals 74% of the county's.
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)25.5%(665)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)22.1%(578)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era36.9%(964)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War1.7%(45)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.3%(34)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 2,612 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Schenectady, decade by decade
Schenectady population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
65,566
$58,360
$194,406
17.3%
28.7
2000
61,821
$53,517
$126,059
19.0%
52.5
2010
66,135
$54,100
$157,524
18.3%
77.3
2020
67,047
$57,903
$137,203
21.5%
92.1
2024
68,847
$58,399
$168,800
25.4%
87.1
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
