Oswego County, New York Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Oswego 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 89% of counties in New York
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Oswego County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 117,951 | 19,748,855 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 90.0 | 362.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.27% | 0.05% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.3 | 38.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 47,239 | 7,694,043 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Oswego County declined by 3.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 117,951 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Oswego County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 23.1% of residents. That is 2.3 points above New York as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 26,387 22.4% +1.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 22,634 19.2% -3.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 27,221 23.1% +2.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 21,033 17.8% +0.5 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 50.1% of the people living in Oswego County and men 49.9%.
- Women 50.1% New York 51.3%
- Men 49.9% New York 48.7%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Oswego County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Oswego County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Oswego County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $69,374 | $86,556 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.31% | 4.51% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 7.0% | 6.4% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Oswego County is about 20% lower than in New York.
Housing
| Metric | Oswego County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $105,390 | $471,885 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $966 | $1,621 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 73.4% | 54.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Oswego County is about 9.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $966 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Oswego County spend about 45 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 189 hours, about 7.9 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Oswego County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.6 | 28.7 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 45.2 | 57.4 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 189 | 239 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,845 | $7,414 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.3% | 15.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 6,227 | 9,257 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,264 | 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 Oswego County is 23 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
Oswego County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Oswego County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.8% | 36.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.39 | 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
Oswego County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Oswego County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.7 | 80.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.3% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 19.9% | 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).
Oswego County, NY Compared With Nearby Counties
Oswego County, NY is typical in size for this group, 117,951 residents against a local median of 115,039, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. The measure that sets Oswego County, NY apart most is median home price: $105,390, 27% below the local median of $143,943.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 22.6 min against a local median of 18.1 min, 25% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 25% above the local median it puts Oswego County, NY at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $79,167 on median home price, so Oswego County, NY sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Oswego County, NY has the 5th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oswego County, NY | 117,951 | $69,374 #4/6 | $105,390 #5/6 | 22.6 min #6/6 |
| Onondaga County, NY | 470,361 | $77,376 | $150,980 | 18.1 min |
| Jefferson County, NY | 115,039 | $66,905 | $142,083 | 16.7 min |
| Cayuga County, NY | 75,102 | $68,324 | $82,647 | 18.6 min |
| Madison County, NY | 67,325 | $75,545 | $161,813 | 21.5 min |
| Oneida County, NY | 229,092 | $70,832 | $143,943 | 17.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Oswego County, New York.
How big is Oswego County, New York by population?
About 117,951 people live in Oswego County, New York, in 47,239 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 41.3, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is Oswego County, New York urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Oswego County, New York has 90 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Oswego County, New York?
The median home costs 1.5 times the median household income ($105,390 against $69,374), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $966 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Oswego County, New York?
Unemployment in Oswego County, New York is 7.0%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What share of adults in Oswego County, New York have a college degree?
19.8% of adults in Oswego 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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