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COUNTY

Rensselaer County

New York · 160,510 residents (2025 est.) · 652 sq mi
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The short version

Rensselaer County is home to 160,332 people in New York. That puts it in the top 3% of US counties for household income. The foreign-born share is 6%. The typical home is worth $258,400, having more than doubled since 2000. About 38% of adults have finished a four-year degree. The population has held roughly steady since 2000.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 40.1
US median: 38.9
Average education
38% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 42%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
160,332
+5%since 2000
from 152,538 in 2000
160,510 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
246 / sq mi
+3%since 2009
from 238 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
40.1
+9%since 2000
from 36.7 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
652 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
152K154K157K159K162K19902000201020202024Rensselaer County
2024160K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 54.9%(7,818)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.1%(8,256)
US avg: 6%
10 to 145.6%(9,013)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.9%(11,026)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.5%(10,463)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3413.8%(22,141)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4412.9%(20,755)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5412%(19,164)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6413.9%(22,366)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7411.2%(18,030)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 845%(8,071)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2%(3,229)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$87,915
+12%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $42,905 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$46,000
+118%since 2000
from $21,095 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
56.9%
+21.8 ptssince 2009
from 35.2% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
11.8%
+2.3 ptssince 2000
from 9.5% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.428
+4%since 2010
from 0.412 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade10.1%
US avg: 9.9%
Information8.2%
US avg: 10.8%
Other services6.4%
US avg: 6.7%
Wholesale trade6.1%
US avg: 6.9%
Public administration5.2%
US avg: 4.8%
Finance & insurance5%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical4.4%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing1.7%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.4%
US avg: 1.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.6%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.6%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services0.6%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$258,400
+42%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $99,600 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,217
+22%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $547 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
64.8%
−0.1 ptssince 2000
from 64.9% in 2000
35.2% rent
Vacancy rate
10.5%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 11.2% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.30 people
−7%since 2009
from 2.46 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
17.9%
−8.7 ptssince 2009
from 26.6% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
44.8%
+4.1 ptssince 2009
from 40.7% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
2.9
−2%since 2009
from 3.0 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.
Gentrification Score
63
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic90.2%(137,562)
Black4.5%(6,870)
Hispanic / Latino2.1%(3,225)
Asian1.7%(2,595)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic78.7%(126,252)
Black6.5%(10,426)
Hispanic / Latino6.2%(9,863)
Asian3.2%(5,123)
Other5.4%(8,668)
Diversity Score
46
+65%since 2009
from 28 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
38
−18%since 2020
from 47 in 2020
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 Rican3.5%(5,626)
Mexican0.8%(1,228)
Dominican0.4%(721)
Cuban0.3%(445)
Salvadoran0.1%(170)
Ecuadorian0.1%(160)
Colombian0.1%(130)
Spaniard0.1%(106)
Peruvian0.1%(96)
Guatemalan0.1%(92)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Argentine0.1%(85)
Panamanian0.1%(81)
Chilean0%(24)
Honduran0%(23)
Asian origin
Asian Indian0.9%(1,417)
Chinese0.7%(1,193)
Burmese0.5%(805)
Korean0.2%(262)
Pakistani0.2%(257)
Filipino0.1%(232)
Kazakh0.1%(137)
Japanese0.1%(106)
Vietnamese0.1%(91)
Nepalese0%(40)
Taiwanese0%(22)
Thai0%(22)
+ 4 more asian origin groups with data
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(28)
Chamorro0%(15)
Ancestry
Irish23.7%(37,946)
German14.7%(23,615)
Italian13.9%(22,264)
English10.6%(17,075)
French6.2%(9,868)
Polish5.6%(9,035)
American3.6%(5,694)
Dutch2.3%(3,611)
Scottish2%(3,144)
French Canadian1.6%(2,509)
Swedish1.1%(1,707)
Russian1%(1,549)
+ 43 more ancestry groups with data
West Indian0.9%(1,438)
Arab0.9%(1,383)
Welsh0.8%(1,337)
Ukrainian0.8%(1,315)
Scotch-Irish0.7%(1,106)
Hungarian0.5%(823)
Greek0.5%(787)
Norwegian0.5%(730)
Danish0.4%(696)
Jamaican0.4%(617)
Guyanese0.4%(601)
Czech0.3%(549)
Austrian0.3%(525)
Lebanese0.3%(518)
Lithuanian0.3%(518)
Armenian0.3%(501)
British0.3%(420)
Haitian0.2%(339)
Portuguese0.2%(293)
Canadian0.2%(286)
Finnish0.2%(280)
Nigerian0.2%(273)
Romanian0.1%(191)
Iranian0.1%(178)
Swiss0.1%(176)
Latvian0.1%(125)
Slovak0.1%(105)
Syrian0.1%(103)
Belgian0.1%(102)
Turkish0.1%(95)
Egyptian0.1%(94)
Croatian0.1%(83)
Barbadian0%(52)
Slovene0%(36)
Brazilian0%(32)
Ghanaian0%(24)
Israeli0%(20)
Iraqi0%(5)
Kenyan0%(4)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
37.6%
+13.8 ptssince 2000
from 23.7% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
92.6%
+7.7 ptssince 2000
from 84.9% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
15.5%
+4.9 ptssince 2000
from 10.5% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
24.0 min
+63%since 2000
from 14.8 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
72.2%
−6.9 ptssince 2009
from 79.1% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
6.7%
−2.8 ptssince 2009
from 9.5% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
2.4%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 3.1% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
14.0%
+10.8 ptssince 2009
from 3.2% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
3.1%
−1.1 ptssince 2009
from 4.2% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.1%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.1% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
9.8%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 9.5% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
5.3%
−2.3 ptssince 2011
from 7.6% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
63.6%
−4.1 ptssince 2011
from 67.7% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
78.9%
+1.7 ptssince 2020
from 77.2% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
19.3%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 19.4% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
47.9%
+11.0 ptssince 2009
from 36.9% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.9%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 49.3% in 2009
Female
50.1%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 50.7% in 2009
Foreign born
5.6%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 5.0% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
6.0%
−4.8 ptssince 2009
from 10.8% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
14.6%
+2.7 ptssince 2012
from 11.9% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
3.4%
−3.1 ptssince 2013
from 6.5% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
91.6%
+10.3 ptssince 2017
from 81.3% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
95.7%
+3.6 ptssince 2020
from 92.1% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
88.7%
+2.7 ptssince 2020
from 86.0% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
92.3%
−0.5 ptssince 2016
from 92.8% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
2.8%
Unchangedsince 2016
from 2.8% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married41.7%(27,920)
Married45.9%(30,793)
Widowed3%(2,014)
Divorced9.4%(6,292)
Women 15+
Never married33.9%(23,114)
Married44.1%(30,102)
Widowed9.4%(6,417)
Divorced12.6%(8,593)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
3.4%
−3.1 ptssince 2013
from 6.5% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
63.3%
−3.3 ptssince 2020
from 66.6% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
11.8%
+0.3 ptssince 2020
from 11.5% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
20.2%
+0.9 ptssince 2020
from 19.3% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
22.9%
+3.6 ptssince 2020
from 19.3% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.8%
−0.5 ptssince 2020
from 2.3% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
72.2%
−3.5 ptssince 2020
from 75.7% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
39.8%
+3.6 ptssince 2020
from 36.2% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

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)20.7%(1,618)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)20.5%(1,602)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era33.7%(2,629)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War5.3%(416)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.5%(116)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 7,810 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 Rensselaer County

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Pop 164,065
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Pop 176,049
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Pop 174,262
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Pop 166,272
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Head to head

Compare Rensselaer County to nearby counties

RENSSELAER COUNTY VS
Albany County
Income$85,333−3%
Home value$294,600+14%
Population321,225+100%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
RENSSELAER COUNTY VS
Berkshire County
Income$76,013−14%
Home value$305,400+18%
Population128,224−20%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
RENSSELAER COUNTY VS
Schenectady County
Income$79,623−9%
Home value$235,700−9%
Population162,581+1%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
RENSSELAER COUNTY VS
Bennington County
Income$73,325−17%
Home value$279,900+8%
Population36,630−77%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Rensselaer County, New York?

Rensselaer County, New York has about 160,332 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Rensselaer County, New York earns about $87,915 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Rensselaer County, New York expensive?

In Rensselaer County, New York, the median home is worth about $258,400, and the typical rent is about $1,217 a month.

How educated are people in Rensselaer County, New York?

About 37.6% of adults age 25 and over in Rensselaer County, New York hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

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

About 11.8% of people in Rensselaer County, New York live below the federal poverty line.

Has Rensselaer County, New York grown since 1990?

Yes, Rensselaer County, New York has grown since 1990. The population has added about 5,903 residents, a change of about 4 percent over that period.

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

How we source and harmonize this data →

Rensselaer County, New York: demographics, income & housing data · CensusEasy