Hamilton County, New York Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Hamilton 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 averageLess healthy than 89% of counties in New York
-
D
Income Well below averageAmong the 5 least wealthy counties in New York
-
D
Education Well below averageAmong the 3 least educated counties in New York
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Hamilton County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 5,089 | 19,748,855 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 2.8 | 362.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.12% | 0.05% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 58.9 | 38.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 2,423 | 7,694,043 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Hamilton County grew by 1.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 5,089 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Hamilton County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 31.7% of residents. That is 14.3 points above New York as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 698 13.7% -6.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 722 14.2% -8.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,258 24.7% +3.9 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,613 31.7% +14.3 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 50.0% of the people living in Hamilton County and men 50.0%.
- Women 50.0% New York 51.3%
- Men 50.0% New York 48.7%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Hamilton County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Hamilton County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Hamilton County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $68,196 | $86,556 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.57% | 4.51% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 6.4% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Hamilton County is about 21% lower than in New York.
Housing
| Metric | Hamilton County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $139,843 | $471,885 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $912 | $1,621 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 82.4% | 54.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Hamilton County is about 12.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $912 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Hamilton County spend about 27 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 113 hours, about 4.7 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Hamilton County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 13.6 | 28.7 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 27.2 | 57.4 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 113 | 239 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,511 | $7,414 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 13.8% | 15.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | — | 9,257 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 215 | 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 Hamilton County is 14 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
Hamilton County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Hamilton County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.9% | 36.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.01 | 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
Hamilton County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Hamilton County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.2 | 80.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.3% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.6% | 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).
Hamilton County, NY Compared With Nearby Counties
Hamilton County, NY is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 5,089 residents against a local median of 58,430. Where Hamilton County, NY breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 40% above the local median of $99,814 at $139,843.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 13.6 min against a local median of 21.0 min, 35% below it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 35% below the local median it puts Hamilton County, NY at the better end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $174,285 on median home price, so Hamilton County, NY sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Hamilton County, NY has the 3rd highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton County, NY | 5,089 | $68,196 #3/6 | $139,843 #3/6 | 13.6 min #1/6 |
| Herkimer County, NY | 58,430 | $67,728 | $63,440 | 21.7 min |
| Fulton County, NY | 49,864 | $66,582 | $98,571 | 20.1 min |
| Warren County, NY | 65,516 | $78,804 | $237,725 | 17.1 min |
| Montgomery County, NY | 49,528 | $66,179 | $152,503 | 21.0 min |
| Saratoga County, NY | 238,162 | $100,718 | $99,814 | 23.0 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Hamilton County, New York.
What is the population of Hamilton County, New York?
About 5,089 people live in Hamilton County, New York, in 2,423 households of 2.0 people on average. The median age is 58.9, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 22 years.
Is Hamilton County, New York urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Hamilton County, New York has 3 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 3% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Hamilton County, New York?
The median home costs 2.1 times the median household income ($139,843 against $68,196), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $912 a month takes about 16% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Hamilton County, New York have a college degree?
21.9% of adults in Hamilton County, New York hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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 →