Essex County, New York Income Statistics

Essex County Wealth Score

The wealth index reflects the overall economic prosperity and financial well-being of a county's residents based on income levels, employment rates, and income inequality metrics.

  • C
    Essex County Below average

Source: Map AI Methodology

Essex County
Click a county to open it Explore the map →
Wealth grade

Income Statistics Overview

See income data visualized

Metric Essex County New York Avg US Average
Median Household Income $72,203 $86,556 $80,455
Median Personal Income $53,853 $70,316 $60,758
Average Yearly Income Growth 3.8% 4.5% 4.8%
Six-Figure Earners 9.5% 16.7% 13.9%
$200k+ Households 7.8% 17.1% 13.2%

The median household income in Essex County is about 17% lower than in New York. Income has been growing slower in Essex County (3.8%/yr) than in New York (4.5%/yr).

About 10% of adults in Essex County earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, lower than the New York average of 17%.

Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend

Median Household Income Over Time

Essex County
United States

Median household income in Essex County, New York grew by 60.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $72,203 in 2024. That's an average of about 3.8% per year.

Year Essex County United States

Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Essex County

Metric Essex County New York Avg US Average
Gini Coefficient 0.513 0.557 0.552
Male Median Income $60,455 $77,531 $69,667
Female Median Income $53,252 $67,892 $56,850
Gender Pay Gap 11.9% 12.4% 18.4%

The Gini coefficient measures how evenly income is shared between richer and poorer households, from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns nearly everything). The lower the number, the more equally income is distributed. In Essex County, it is 0.513, lower than New York's 0.557, so income is more evenly distributed here than there, and lower than the US's 0.552, so income is more evenly distributed here than there.

Men's income is about 14% more than women's income in Essex County, New York. Over a 35-year career, a 14% wage gap accumulates to roughly $252,105 in unearned income for female workers in the area.

Income by Sex Over Time

Male
Female

Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Essex County, New York has narrowed from about 19% to 12% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 23% in 2010. In dollar terms, the gap has narrowed by $927 since 2009.

Year Male Income Female Income Gap %

Employment

Metric Essex County New York Avg US Average
Unemployment Rate 4.0% 6.4% 5.2%
Working from Home 13.2% 15.0% 15.0%
Commute time (minutes) 17 28 22

Approximately 704 people are unemployed in Essex County, New York.

The average commute time in Essex County is 17 minutes, shorter than the 28 minutes in New York.

Unemployment Rate Over Time

Essex County
United States

Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Essex County, New York has fallen from 7.2% to 4.0% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 8.6% in 2014.

Year Essex County United States

Essex County, NY Wealth 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. There is no headline here. Every measure below sits within 15% of the median across the nearest counties, which makes Essex County, NY an unremarkable member of its own neighbourhood rather than an outlier in it.

The largest of those small differences is income growth, 14% below the local median at 3.8%/yr against 4.4%/yr. Essex County, NY has the 5th highest income growth of the 6 areas compared here.

Area Population Median household income Income growthAverage yearly change in median household income since 2016. Each year is measured in its own dollars, so this is growth before inflation. Unemployment Income inequalityGini coefficient: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 that a single household earns everything. The lower the number, the more equally income is shared here.
Essex County, NY 36,973 $72,203 #4/6 3.8%/yr #5/6 4.0% #4/6 0.513 #2/6
Warren County, NY 65,516 $78,804 4.0%/yr 4.3% 0.497
Clinton County, NY 78,493 $71,272 4.4%/yr 4.1% 0.531
Addison County, VT 37,599 $87,779 4.7%/yr 3.8% 0.518
Franklin County, NY 46,696 $65,925 3.6%/yr 3.9% 0.540
Chittenden County, VT 169,680 $96,978 4.8%/yr 3.2% 0.513

Conclusion

Considering all these factors, Essex County, New York has an overall wealth index grade of C, making it about on par with New York, and about on par with the country as a whole.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about income and wealth in Essex County, New York.

How Wealthy Is Essex County, New York?

Essex County has a wealth index grade of C. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; a C grade means residents are close to the U.S. average. The median household income is $72,203, about 17% lower than the New York average of $86,556.

How has median household income changed in Essex County, New York?

Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Essex County, New York rose 61%, from $44,936 to $72,203. Over the same years, income here outpaced New York as a whole: +61% against +56%.

What was the median household income in Essex County in 2023?

In 2023, the median household income in Essex County, New York was $70,097, up 4% from $67,422 in 2022. The New York median that year was $85,199.

What was the median household income in Essex County in 2020?

In 2020, the median household income in Essex County, New York was $58,526. By 2024 it had risen 23% to $72,203.

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 New York rate of 6.4%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.

What is the Gini coefficient in Essex County, New York?

The Gini coefficient in Essex County is 0.513. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is lower than the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed more equally than in the country overall.

How has the income gap between men and women changed in Essex County, New York?

Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Essex County, New York has narrowed from about 19% to 12% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 23% in 2010. In dollar terms, the gap has narrowed by $927 since 2009.

Analyze any area in the US

Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.

Explore the map →