Essex County, New York Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Essex County, NY Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
B
Health Around average
-
C
Income Below average
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C
Education Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Essex County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 36,973 | 19,748,855 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 19.3 | 362.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.53% | 0.05% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 48.7 | 38.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 16,342 | 7,694,043 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Essex County declined by 2.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 36,973 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Essex County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 23.7% of residents. That is 6.4 points above New York as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 6,154 16.6% -3.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 7,054 19.1% -3.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 8,569 23.2% +2.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 8,777 23.7% +6.4 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below New York, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 48.0% of the people living in Essex County and men 52.0%.
- Women 48.0% New York 51.3%
- Men 52.0% New York 48.7%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Essex County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Essex County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Essex County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $72,203 | $86,556 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.80% | 4.51% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.0% | 6.4% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Essex County is about 17% lower than in New York.
Housing
| Metric | Essex County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $186,000 | $471,885 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $934 | $1,621 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 77.3% | 54.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Essex County is about 16.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $934 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Essex County spend about 35 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 146 hours, about 6.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Essex County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.6 | 28.7 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 35.1 | 57.4 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 146 | 239 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,540 | $7,414 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 13.2% | 15.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,393 | 9,257 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 760 | 1,586 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
New York:
Hamilton County (13.6 min), Chautauqua County (15.4 min), Franklin County (16.4 min).
Slowest:
Bronx County (43.2 min), Queens County (41.8 min), Kings County (41.6 min).
The average commute time in Essex County is 18 minutes, shorter than the 29 minutes in New York.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Essex County has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Essex County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 29.5% | 36.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.12 | 2.49 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
New York:
New York County (0.5), Tompkins County (0.4), Westchester County (0.4).
Lowest:
Bronx County (0.2), Orleans County (0.2), Hamilton County (0.2).
Health
Essex County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Essex County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.0 | 80.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.3% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 16.6% | 17.4% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
New York:
Tompkins County (0.8), Nassau County (0.8), New York County (0.8).
Lowest:
Bronx County (0.8), Montgomery County (0.8), Cattaraugus County (0.8).
Essex County, NY Compared With Nearby Counties
Essex County, NY is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 36,973 residents against a local median of 65,516. The measure that sets Essex County, NY apart most is median home price: $186,000, 22% below the local median of $237,725.
The counties themselves spread $477,836 on median home price, so Essex County, NY sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Essex County, NY has the 4th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essex County, NY | 36,973 | $72,203 #4/6 | $186,000 #4/6 | 17.6 min #4/6 |
| Warren County, NY | 65,516 | $78,804 | $237,725 | 17.1 min |
| Clinton County, NY | 78,493 | $71,272 | $84,133 | 16.5 min |
| Addison County, VT | 37,599 | $87,779 | $561,969 | 20.3 min |
| Franklin County, NY | 46,696 | $65,925 | $96,666 | 16.4 min |
| Chittenden County, VT | 169,680 | $96,978 | $392,968 | 19.0 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Essex County, New York.
What is the population of Essex County, New York?
About 36,973 people live in Essex County, New York, in 16,342 households of 2.1 people on average. The median age is 48.7, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 11 years.
Is Essex County, New York mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Essex County, New York has 19 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 22% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Essex County, New York?
The median home costs 2.6 times the median household income ($186,000 against $72,203), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $934 a month takes about 16% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Essex County, New York?
Unemployment in Essex County, New York is only 4.0%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
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