CensusEasy
COUNTY · 2020 ACS

Onondaga County

New York · 476,516 residents · 778 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO
Part of the Syracuse metro area
Compare
The short version

Onondaga County is home to 476,516 people in New York. Home values have risen by half since 2000, reaching $148,100. The average commute runs 20 minutes. The foreign-born share is 8%. 36% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Headcount has barely moved since 2000.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $66,278
Mid-age
median age 39.2
US median: 38.8
Average education
36% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
476,516
+4%since 2000
from 458,336 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
39.2
+8%since 2000
from 36.3 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
778 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
452K458K465K472K479K19902000201020202024Onondaga County
2024471K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 55.4%(25,612)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.7%(27,272)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 146%(28,364)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 197.1%(33,647)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 247.6%(36,135)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3413.2%(62,815)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4411.4%(54,288)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5411.7%(55,598)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6414%(66,610)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 7410.2%(48,756)
US avg: 10%
75 to 845.1%(24,402)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over2.7%(13,017)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$62,668
+2%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $40,847 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$34,600
+62%since 2000
from $21,336 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
42.0%
+10.7 ptssince 2009
from 31.3% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
13.9%
+1.7 ptssince 2000
from 12.2% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Information10.6%
US avg: 11.1%
Retail trade7.8%
US avg: 10%
Other services7%
US avg: 6.6%
Finance & insurance5.3%
US avg: 5.5%
Public administration5.2%
US avg: 4.7%
Wholesale trade5.1%
US avg: 6.7%
Professional, scientific, technical4.1%
US avg: 4.7%
Transportation & warehousing2.9%
US avg: 2.5%
Arts, entertainment, food2.1%
US avg: 2%
Education & health services1.3%
US avg: 0.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.6%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction0.5%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$148,100
+16%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $84,900 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$888
+7%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $550 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
62.2%
−2.3 ptssince 2000
from 64.5% in 2000
37.8% rent
Persons per household
2.36 people
−2%since 2009
from 2.40 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
2.4
−1%since 2009
from 2.4 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic83.7%(383,599)
Black9.1%(41,772)
Hispanic / Latino2.4%(11,175)
Asian2.1%(9,512)
Other0%
2020
White, non-Hispanic72.9%(347,290)
Black11.4%(54,410)
Hispanic / Latino5.6%(26,572)
Asian4.2%(20,119)
Other4.2%(20,095)
Segregation Score
49
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Puerto Rican2.4%(11,110)
Dominican0.6%(2,604)
Cuban0.5%(2,466)
Mexican0.5%(2,281)
South American0.4%(1,925)
Central American0.3%(1,220)
Spaniard0.2%(750)
Colombian0.2%(732)
Peruvian0.1%(458)
Guatemalan0.1%(326)
Ecuadorian0.1%(257)
Salvadoran0.1%(251)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Chilean0.1%(243)
Honduran0%(207)
Panamanian0%(200)
Argentine0%(139)
Uruguayan0%(40)
Bolivian0%(10)
Asian origin
Chinese1%(4,531)
Asian Indian0.7%(3,390)
Vietnamese0.5%(2,482)
Burmese0.3%(1,337)
Korean0.2%(1,112)
Nepalese0.2%(786)
Filipino0.2%(758)
Bhutanese0.1%(482)
Pakistani0.1%(414)
Thai0.1%(312)
Japanese0.1%(266)
Taiwanese0.1%(246)
+ 6 more asian origin groups with data
Hmong0%(103)
Laotian0%(100)
Cambodian0%(65)
Pacific Islander origin
Fijian0%(56)
Chamorro0%(30)
Samoan0%(26)
Ancestry
Irish19.7%(91,020)
Italian15.8%(72,924)
German15.3%(70,828)
English10.9%(50,297)
Polish6.4%(29,619)
French3.9%(17,952)
American3.1%(14,098)
Scottish1.7%(7,960)
French Canadian1.6%(7,426)
Dutch1.6%(7,184)
Ukrainian1.3%(5,847)
+ 51 more ancestry groups with data
Russian1%(4,723)
Welsh0.7%(3,342)
Swedish0.7%(3,285)
West Indian0.6%(2,809)
Scotch-Irish0.5%(2,494)
Greek0.5%(2,479)
British0.5%(2,454)
Norwegian0.4%(1,795)
Somali0.4%(1,619)
Austrian0.3%(1,614)
Hungarian0.3%(1,568)
Jamaican0.3%(1,461)
Swiss0.3%(1,426)
Canadian0.3%(1,403)
Lebanese0.3%(1,191)
Czech0.3%(1,160)
Arab0.2%(1,092)
Slovak0.2%(895)
Danish0.2%(802)
Portuguese0.2%(783)
Lithuanian0.2%(764)
Palestinian0.1%(661)
Haitian0.1%(597)
Macedonian0.1%(498)
Nigerian0.1%(478)
Syrian0.1%(470)
Kenyan0.1%(447)
Ethiopian0.1%(422)
Turkish0.1%(422)
Romanian0.1%(417)
Iraqi0.1%(398)
Armenian0.1%(398)
Egyptian0.1%(396)
Guyanese0.1%(375)
Ghanaian0.1%(363)
Moroccan0.1%(339)
Slovene0.1%(307)
Finnish0.1%(265)
Croatian0.1%(242)
Belgian0.1%(235)
Brazilian0%(180)
Israeli0%(136)
Iranian0%(111)
Serbian0%(107)
Latvian0%(100)
Barbadian0%(90)
Bulgarian0%(68)
Jordanian0%(59)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
36.1%
+7.6 ptssince 2000
from 28.5% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
91.2%
+5.6 ptssince 2000
from 85.7% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
16.0%
+4.1 ptssince 2000
from 11.9% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
20.0 min
+71%since 2000
from 11.7 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
77.8%
−2.0 ptssince 2009
from 79.9% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
12.1%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 11.8% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
5.7%
−1.0 ptssince 2011
from 6.7% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
62.5%
−1.5 ptssince 2011
from 64.0% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
75.4%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
43.0%
+4.1 ptssince 2009
from 38.8% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.2%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 48.1% in 2009
Female
51.8%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 51.9% in 2009
Foreign born
7.8%
+1.8 ptssince 2009
from 6.1% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
3.5%
−5.0 ptssince 2013
from 8.5% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
89.8%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
85.9%
US average: 86.2%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married39.5%(73,999)
Married47.9%(89,728)
Widowed2.7%(5,049)
Divorced9.9%(18,539)
Women 15+
Never married35.5%(71,838)
Married43.7%(88,602)
Widowed8.3%(16,824)
Divorced12.5%(25,373)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
3.5%
−5.0 ptssince 2013
from 8.5% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
62.9%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
15.3%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
19.1%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
22.3%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
2.4%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
73.7%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
38.5%
US average: 35.2%

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, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later)16.7%(3,955)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)16.7%(3,960)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era34%(8,042)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War9.6%(2,278)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II4.4%(1,052)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 23,676 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
Drill deeper

Places similar to Onondaga County

Manatee County
Pop 468,200
Lake County
Pop 456,068
Berks County
Pop 440,072
Osceola County
Pop 481,718
Places similar to Onondaga County
Head to head

Compare Onondaga County to nearby counties

ONONDAGA COUNTY VS
Cayuga County
Income$67,904+8%
Home value$171,000+15%
Population74,365−84%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ONONDAGA COUNTY VS
Madison County
Income$75,499+20%
Home value$184,600+25%
Population67,120−86%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ONONDAGA COUNTY VS
Cortland County
Income$70,418+12%
Home value$162,100+9%
Population45,850−90%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ONONDAGA COUNTY VS
Oswego County
Income$69,183+10%
Home value$151,700+2%
Population118,569−75%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Onondaga County, New York?

Onondaga County, New York has about 476,516 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Onondaga County, New York?

The typical household in Onondaga County, New York earns about $62,668 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Onondaga County, New York expensive?

In Onondaga County, New York, the median home is worth about $148,100, and the typical rent is about $888 a month.

How educated are people in Onondaga County, New York?

About 36.1% of adults age 25 and over in Onondaga County, New York hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Onondaga County, New York?

About 13.9% of people in Onondaga County, New York live below the federal poverty line.

Has Onondaga County, New York grown since 1990?

Yes, Onondaga County, New York has grown since 1990. The population has added about 7,543 residents, a change of about 2 percent over that period.

Keep going

Explore from here

Up the hierarchy
All counties in New York

DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →