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COUNTY · 2020 ACS

Rensselaer County

New York · 161,130 residents · 652 sq mi
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The short version

Rensselaer County is a county of 161,130 people in New York. The foreign-born share is 5%. The typical home is worth $197,100, having more than doubled since 2000. Households earn $72,510 at the median, near the US median. The population has held roughly steady since 2000. About 34% of adults have finished a four-year degree.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $66,278
Mid-age
median age 39.6
US median: 38.8
Average education
34% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 32%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
161,130
+6%since 2000
from 152,538 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
39.6
+8%since 2000
from 36.7 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
652 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
152K154K157K159K162K19902000201020202024Rensselaer County
2024160K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 55%(8,006)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.2%(8,442)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 145.6%(9,014)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 197.1%(11,442)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 247.5%(12,007)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3413.9%(22,331)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4411.8%(19,024)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5412.1%(19,527)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6414.2%(22,877)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 7410.7%(17,179)
US avg: 10%
75 to 844.9%(7,861)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over2.1%(3,420)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$72,510
+12%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $42,905 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$37,011
+75%since 2000
from $21,095 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
47.6%
+12.5 ptssince 2009
from 35.2% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
10.8%
+1.3 ptssince 2000
from 9.5% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Information8.9%
US avg: 11.1%
Retail trade8.3%
US avg: 10%
Wholesale trade6.9%
US avg: 6.7%
Other services6%
US avg: 6.6%
Public administration5%
US avg: 4.7%
Finance & insurance4.9%
US avg: 5.5%
Professional, scientific, technical4%
US avg: 4.7%
Transportation & warehousing1.8%
US avg: 2.5%
Arts, entertainment, food1.6%
US avg: 2%
Education & health services0.9%
US avg: 0.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.6%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction0.6%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$197,100
+32%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $99,600 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$987
+20%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $547 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
61.4%
−3.5 ptssince 2000
from 64.9% in 2000
38.6% rent
Persons per household
2.34 people
−5%since 2009
from 2.46 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
2.7
−9%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.
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%
2020
White, non-Hispanic77.3%(124,600)
Black7.3%(11,800)
Hispanic / Latino5.9%(9,482)
Asian3.5%(5,711)
Other3.9%(6,254)
Segregation Score
47
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 Rican2.9%(4,534)
Mexican0.5%(745)
Dominican0.4%(577)
Cuban0.2%(375)
Ecuadorian0.2%(349)
Honduran0.1%(217)
Spaniard0.1%(161)
Panamanian0.1%(148)
Chilean0.1%(144)
Guatemalan0.1%(143)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Salvadoran0.1%(140)
Argentine0.1%(127)
Peruvian0%(55)
Colombian0%(30)
Asian origin
Chinese1%(1,540)
Asian Indian0.7%(1,095)
Burmese0.4%(642)
Korean0.2%(250)
Filipino0.1%(140)
Japanese0.1%(125)
Nepalese0.1%(120)
Pakistani0%(76)
Thai0%(27)
Taiwanese0%(11)
+ 2 more asian origin groups with data
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0%(30)
Samoan0%(29)
Ancestry
Irish25.3%(40,205)
German16.8%(26,649)
Italian14.3%(22,718)
English10%(15,827)
French6.8%(10,744)
Polish6.3%(10,077)
Dutch3.6%(5,778)
American3.1%(4,961)
French Canadian2.6%(4,166)
Scottish1.6%(2,561)
Welsh1.1%(1,804)
West Indian1%(1,539)
+ 47 more ancestry groups with data
Russian1%(1,538)
Ukrainian0.8%(1,348)
Swedish0.8%(1,275)
Scotch-Irish0.6%(1,001)
Canadian0.5%(822)
Danish0.5%(808)
British0.5%(801)
Norwegian0.5%(743)
Greek0.4%(701)
Lithuanian0.4%(611)
Armenian0.3%(556)
Jamaican0.3%(502)
Lebanese0.3%(473)
Portuguese0.3%(427)
Czech0.2%(396)
Haitian0.2%(389)
Austrian0.2%(383)
Hungarian0.2%(338)
Swiss0.2%(282)
Slovak0.1%(233)
Ghanaian0.1%(230)
Finnish0.1%(201)
Iranian0.1%(193)
Guyanese0.1%(174)
Nigerian0.1%(172)
Barbadian0.1%(156)
Turkish0.1%(155)
Romanian0.1%(140)
Israeli0.1%(115)
Belgian0.1%(111)
Croatian0.1%(101)
Syrian0.1%(98)
Latvian0.1%(95)
Brazilian0%(57)
Egyptian0%(55)
Kenyan0%(42)
Somali0%(30)
Iraqi0%(23)
Ethiopian0%(21)
Arab0%(20)
Bulgarian0%(17)
Serbian0%(8)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
33.9%
+10.2 ptssince 2000
from 23.7% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
92.5%
+7.6 ptssince 2000
from 84.9% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
13.9%
+3.4 ptssince 2000
from 10.5% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
24.3 min
+64%since 2000
from 14.8 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
79.2%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 79.1% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
9.6%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 9.5% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
5.1%
−2.6 ptssince 2011
from 7.6% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
65.0%
−2.7 ptssince 2011
from 67.7% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
77.2%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
43.7%
+6.9 ptssince 2009
from 36.9% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.4%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 49.3% in 2009
Female
50.6%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 50.7% in 2009
Foreign born
5.3%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 5.0% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
3.7%
−2.8 ptssince 2013
from 6.5% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
92.1%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
86.0%
US average: 86.2%
Marital status (2024)
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
3.7%
−2.8 ptssince 2013
from 6.5% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
66.6%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
11.5%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
19.3%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
19.3%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
2.3%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
75.7%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
36.2%
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)17.7%(1,546)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)15.3%(1,332)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era36.5%(3,181)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War8.3%(720)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II4.1%(354)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 8,723 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 Rensselaer County to nearby counties

RENSSELAER COUNTY VS
Albany County
Income$85,333+18%
Home value$294,600+49%
Population321,225+100%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
RENSSELAER COUNTY VS
Berkshire County
Income$76,013+5%
Home value$305,400+55%
Population128,224−20%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
RENSSELAER COUNTY VS
Schenectady County
Income$79,623+10%
Home value$235,700+20%
Population162,581+1%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
RENSSELAER COUNTY VS
Bennington County
Income$73,325+1%
Home value$279,900+42%
Population36,630−77%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Rensselaer County, New York?

Rensselaer County, New York has about 161,130 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Rensselaer County, New York earns about $72,510 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 $197,100, and the typical rent is about $987 a month.

How educated are people in Rensselaer County, New York?

About 33.9% 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 10.8% 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 6,701 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

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