Lewis County, New York Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Lewis 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 average
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C
Income Below average
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D
Education Well below averageLess educated than 92% of counties in New York
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Lewis County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 26,603 | 19,748,855 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 20.6 | 362.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.26% | 0.05% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.3 | 38.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 11,115 | 7,694,043 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Lewis County grew by 1.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 26,603 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Lewis County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.7% of residents. That is 0.9 points above New York as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 5,127 19.3% -1.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,942 18.6% -3.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 5,778 21.7% +0.9 pts
- Boomers 61–79 5,356 20.1% +2.8 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 49.8% of the people living in Lewis County and men 50.2%.
- Women 49.8% New York 51.3%
- Men 50.2% New York 48.7%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Lewis County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Lewis County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Lewis County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $68,475 | $86,556 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.04% | 4.51% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.1% | 6.4% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Lewis County is about 21% lower than in New York.
Housing
| Metric | Lewis County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $120,390 | $471,885 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $837 | $1,621 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 80.2% | 54.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Lewis County is about 12.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $837 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Lewis County spend about 37 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 153 hours, about 6.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Lewis County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.4 | 28.7 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 36.7 | 57.4 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 153 | 239 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,745 | $7,414 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.5% | 15.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,324 | 9,257 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 481 | 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 Lewis 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
Lewis County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Lewis County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.2% | 36.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.36 | 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
Lewis County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Lewis County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 85.5 | 80.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.2% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 19.7% | 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).
Lewis County, NY Compared With Nearby Counties
Lewis County, NY is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 26,603 residents against a local median of 115,039. Lewis County, NY sits close to the middle of its own neighbourhood. No measure below is more than 15% off the local median, so the choice between these counties turns on things this data does not capture.
The largest of those small differences is median home price, 14% above the local median at $120,390 against $105,390. Lewis County, NY has the 3rd highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lewis County, NY | 26,603 | $68,475 #3/6 | $120,390 #3/6 | 18.4 min #4/6 |
| Oneida County, NY | 229,092 | $70,832 | $143,943 | 17.1 min |
| Herkimer County, NY | 58,430 | $67,728 | $63,440 | 21.7 min |
| Jefferson County, NY | 115,039 | $66,905 | $142,083 | 16.7 min |
| St. Lawrence County, NY | 100,889 | $62,697 | $95,915 | 16.9 min |
| Oswego County, NY | 117,951 | $69,374 | $105,390 | 22.6 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Lewis County, New York.
What is the population of Lewis County, New York?
About 26,603 people live in Lewis County, New York, in 11,115 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 43.3, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
How densely populated is Lewis County, New York?
Averaged over its land area, Lewis County, New York has 21 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 24% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Lewis County, New York?
The median home costs 1.8 times the median household income ($120,390 against $68,475), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $837 a month takes about 15% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in Lewis County, New York?
18.2% of adults in Lewis 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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