Herkimer County, New York Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Herkimer 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.
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B
Health Around averageLess healthy than 72% of counties in New York
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C
Income Below average
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D
Education Well below averageLess educated than 74% of counties in New York
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Herkimer County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 58,430 | 19,748,855 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 40.1 | 362.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -1.05% | 0.05% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.7 | 38.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 25,216 | 7,694,043 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Herkimer County declined by 6.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 58,430 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Herkimer County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.5% of residents. That is 1.7 points above New York as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 11,064 18.9% -1.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 10,305 17.6% -4.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 13,151 22.5% +1.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 12,380 21.2% +3.8 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 50.5% of the people living in Herkimer County and men 49.5%.
- Women 50.5% New York 51.3%
- Men 49.5% New York 48.7%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Herkimer County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Herkimer County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Herkimer County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $67,728 | $86,556 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.25% | 4.51% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 6.4% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Herkimer County is about 22% lower than in New York.
Housing
| Metric | Herkimer County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $63,440 | $471,885 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $822 | $1,621 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 76.2% | 54.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Herkimer County is about 6.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $822 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Herkimer County spend about 43 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 181 hours, about 7.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Herkimer County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.7 | 28.7 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 43.4 | 57.4 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 181 | 239 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,612 | $7,414 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 9.9% | 15.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,658 | 9,257 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,911 | 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 Herkimer County is 22 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
Herkimer County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Herkimer County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.5% | 36.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.23 | 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
Herkimer County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Herkimer County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.6 | 80.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.0% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 19.2% | 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).
Herkimer County, NY Compared With Nearby Counties
Herkimer County, NY is the 2nd largest of the 5 counties compared here, 58,430 residents against a local median of 49,696. The measure that sets Herkimer County, NY apart most is median home price: $63,440, 52% below the local median of $132,166.
The counties themselves spread $53,932 on median home price, so Herkimer County, NY sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Herkimer County, NY has the 5th highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Herkimer County, NY | 58,430 | $67,728 #3/5 | $63,440 #5/5 | 21.7 min #5/5 |
| Oneida County, NY | 229,092 | $70,832 | $143,943 | 17.1 min |
| Lewis County, NY | 26,603 | $68,475 | $120,390 | 18.4 min |
| Fulton County, NY | 49,864 | $66,582 | $98,571 | 20.1 min |
| Montgomery County, NY | 49,528 | $66,179 | $152,503 | 21.0 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Herkimer County, New York.
How many people live in Herkimer County, New York?
About 58,430 people live in Herkimer County, New York, in 25,216 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 43.7, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
Is Herkimer County, New York urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Herkimer County, New York has 40 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 46% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Herkimer County, New York?
The median home costs 0.9 times the median household income ($63,440 against $67,728), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $822 a month takes about 15% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Herkimer County, New York have a college degree?
21.5% of adults in Herkimer County, New York hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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