Orleans County, New York Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Orleans 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 90% of counties in New York
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C
Income Below averageLess wealthy than 84% of counties in New York
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D
Education Well below averageAmong the 3 least educated counties in New York
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Orleans County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 39,608 | 19,748,855 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 48.4 | 362.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.71% | 0.05% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.2 | 38.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 16,220 | 7,694,043 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Orleans County declined by 6.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 39,608 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Orleans County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 24.2% of residents. That is 3.4 points above New York as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 7,566 19.1% -1.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 8,027 20.3% -1.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 9,585 24.2% +3.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 7,607 19.2% +1.8 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 Orleans 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 Orleans County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Orleans County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Orleans County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $67,048 | $86,556 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.10% | 4.51% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.1% | 6.4% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Orleans County is about 23% lower than in New York.
Housing
| Metric | Orleans County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $251,667 | $471,885 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $873 | $1,621 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 77.2% | 54.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Orleans County is about 24.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $873 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Orleans County spend about 44 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 185 hours, about 7.7 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Orleans County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.1 | 28.7 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 44.3 | 57.4 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 185 | 239 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,720 | $7,414 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 10.5% | 15.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 6,410 | 9,257 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 641 | 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 Orleans 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
Orleans County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Orleans County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.8% | 36.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.29 | 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
Orleans County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Orleans County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.3 | 80.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.6% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.3% | 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).
Orleans County, NY Compared With Nearby Counties
Orleans County, NY is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 39,608 residents against a local median of 61,495. The measure that sets Orleans County, NY apart most is median home price: $251,667, 111% above the local median of $119,155.
The counties themselves spread $496,187 on median home price, so Orleans County, NY sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Orleans County, NY has the 2nd highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orleans County, NY | 39,608 | $67,048 #6/6 | $251,667 #2/6 | 22.1 min #5/6 |
| Genesee County, NY | 57,790 | $73,153 | $74,894 | 20.0 min |
| Niagara County, NY | 210,721 | $69,767 | $119,155 | 21.0 min |
| Monroe County, NY | 753,564 | $76,570 | $159,902 | 18.5 min |
| Wyoming County, NY | 39,775 | $69,185 | $571,081 | 21.2 min |
| Livingston County, NY | 61,495 | $73,724 | $83,371 | 22.6 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Orleans County, New York.
How many people live in Orleans County, New York?
About 39,608 people live in Orleans County, New York, in 16,220 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 42.2, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
How densely populated is Orleans County, New York?
Averaged over its land area, Orleans County, New York has 48 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 56% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Orleans County, New York?
The median home costs 3.8 times the median household income ($251,667 against $67,048), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $873 a month takes about 16% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Orleans County, New York?
16.8% of adults in Orleans County, New York hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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