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COUNTY · 2020 ACS

Oswego County

New York · 117,525 residents · 952 sq mi
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The short version

Oswego County is home to 117,525 people in New York. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 20% of adults. The typical home is worth $109,500, having risen by half since 2000. The foreign-born share is 2%. 72% of homes are owner-occupied. That trails the New York median by roughly 17%.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $66,278
Mid-age
median age 40.6
US median: 38.8
Less educated
20% 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
117,525
−4%since 2000
from 122,377 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
40.6
+16%since 2000
from 35.0 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
952 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
117K118K120K121K123K19902000201020202024Oswego County
2024118K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 55.3%(6,198)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.9%(6,950)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 146.2%(7,259)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 197.3%(8,597)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 247.2%(8,503)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3411.6%(13,680)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4411.1%(13,033)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5412.5%(14,746)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6415.4%(18,113)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 7410.6%(12,504)
US avg: 10%
75 to 845%(5,840)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over1.8%(2,102)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$59,070
+7%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $36,598 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$30,026
+78%since 2000
from $16,853 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
38.7%
+14.0 ptssince 2009
from 24.6% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
16.8%
+2.8 ptssince 2000
from 14.0% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Information14.2%
US avg: 11.1%
Retail trade11.8%
US avg: 10%
Finance & insurance7.9%
US avg: 5.5%
Wholesale trade7.9%
US avg: 6.7%
Professional, scientific, technical4.5%
US avg: 4.7%
Other services4%
US avg: 6.6%
Education & health services3.5%
US avg: 0.8%
Transportation & warehousing2.6%
US avg: 2.5%
Public administration2.5%
US avg: 4.7%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.6%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction1.3%
US avg: 1.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.2%
US avg: 2%
Manufacturing0.2%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$109,500
+4%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $69,800 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$806
+6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $507 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
71.7%
−1.1 ptssince 2000
from 72.8% in 2000
28.3% rent
Persons per household
2.42 people
−3%since 2009
from 2.49 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
1.9
−2%since 2009
from 1.9 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-Hispanic96.5%(118,110)
Black0.6%(674)
Hispanic / Latino1.3%(1,592)
Asian0.4%(498)
Other0%
2020
White, non-Hispanic89.9%(105,710)
Black1.2%(1,370)
Hispanic / Latino3.1%(3,616)
Asian0.7%(870)
Other2.2%(2,555)
Segregation Score
31
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 Rican1.2%(1,353)
Mexican0.4%(519)
Dominican0.2%(236)
Cuban0.1%(163)
Ecuadorian0.1%(125)
Guatemalan0.1%(110)
Colombian0%(57)
Argentine0%(45)
Spaniard0%(32)
Peruvian0%(19)
+ 6 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Chinese0.2%(236)
Filipino0.2%(190)
Thai0.1%(95)
Korean0.1%(86)
Asian Indian0.1%(63)
Japanese0%(56)
Pakistani0%(16)
Cambodian0%(10)
+ 1 more asian origin group with data
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(3)
Ancestry
Irish20.1%(23,658)
German16.9%(19,869)
Italian13.7%(16,162)
English12.6%(14,809)
Polish6.2%(7,235)
French6%(7,068)
American5.5%(6,477)
French Canadian2.9%(3,421)
Dutch2.5%(2,977)
Scottish1.9%(2,243)
Welsh1%(1,193)
Ukrainian0.8%(926)
+ 43 more ancestry groups with data
Canadian0.6%(743)
Russian0.6%(723)
Scotch-Irish0.6%(708)
Norwegian0.6%(677)
British0.6%(648)
Swedish0.5%(531)
West Indian0.4%(439)
Greek0.3%(313)
Lebanese0.3%(312)
Hungarian0.2%(285)
Czech0.2%(193)
Jamaican0.1%(172)
Finnish0.1%(170)
Austrian0.1%(160)
Slovak0.1%(160)
Danish0.1%(159)
Lithuanian0.1%(159)
Swiss0.1%(136)
Portuguese0.1%(134)
Syrian0.1%(117)
Palestinian0.1%(105)
Armenian0.1%(102)
Haitian0.1%(84)
Romanian0.1%(68)
Serbian0.1%(61)
Belgian0%(54)
Croatian0%(34)
Nigerian0%(30)
Egyptian0%(29)
Slovene0%(29)
Israeli0%(27)
Brazilian0%(26)
Barbadian0%(24)
Turkish0%(20)
Bulgarian0%(15)
Arab0%(13)
Ghanaian0%(12)
Guyanese0%(11)
Latvian0%(10)
Iranian0%(7)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
20.1%
+5.7 ptssince 2000
from 14.4% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
89.1%
+8.7 ptssince 2000
from 80.4% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
8.8%
+3.6 ptssince 2000
from 5.3% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
24.8 min
+51%since 2000
from 16.4 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
81.4%
+1.8 ptssince 2009
from 79.6% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
7.8%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 7.7% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
6.6%
−3.5 ptssince 2011
from 10.1% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
61.1%
−0.6 ptssince 2011
from 61.7% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
72.9%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
31.7%
+5.2 ptssince 2009
from 26.6% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
50.1%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 49.5% in 2009
Female
49.9%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 50.5% in 2009
Foreign born
1.9%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 2.1% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
4.2%
−4.5 ptssince 2013
from 8.7% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
91.7%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
85.8%
US average: 86.2%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married37.9%(18,616)
Married47.9%(23,530)
Widowed3%(1,453)
Divorced11.2%(5,519)
Women 15+
Never married31%(15,166)
Married48.6%(23,811)
Widowed9.2%(4,490)
Divorced11.3%(5,511)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
4.2%
−4.5 ptssince 2013
from 8.7% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
56.9%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
10.9%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
19.2%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
27.4%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
3.7%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
66.3%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
44.0%
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)21.5%(1,905)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)16%(1,419)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era34.7%(3,079)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War8.1%(717)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II1.6%(139)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 8,876 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

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Head to head

Compare Oswego County to nearby counties

OSWEGO COUNTY VS
Onondaga County
Income$76,945+30%
Home value$200,200+83%
Population466,584+294%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
OSWEGO COUNTY VS
Cayuga County
Income$67,904+15%
Home value$171,000+56%
Population74,365−37%
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OSWEGO COUNTY VS
Jefferson County
Income$66,301+12%
Home value$188,200+72%
Population111,540−6%
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OSWEGO COUNTY VS
Oneida County
Income$70,154+19%
Home value$182,600+67%
Population226,392+91%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Oswego County, New York?

Oswego County, New York has about 117,525 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Oswego County, New York earns about $59,070 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Oswego County, New York expensive?

In Oswego County, New York, the median home is worth about $109,500, and the typical rent is about $806 a month.

How educated are people in Oswego County, New York?

About 20.1% of adults age 25 and over in Oswego County, New York hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

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

About 16.8% of people in Oswego County, New York live below the federal poverty line.

Has Oswego County, New York grown since 1990?

Yes, Oswego County, New York has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 4,246 residents, a change of about -3 percent over that period.

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

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