Putnam County, New York Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Putnam 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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A
Health Above averageAmong the top 5 healthiest counties in New York
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A
Income Above averageAmong the top 3 wealthiest counties in New York
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B
Education Around averageBetter educated than 89% of counties in New York
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Putnam County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 98,107 | 19,748,855 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 398.7 | 362.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.16% | 0.05% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.5 | 38.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 35,545 | 7,694,043 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Putnam County declined by 1.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 98,107 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Putnam County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 25.1% of residents. That is 4.3 points above New York as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 18,385 18.7% -1.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 19,801 20.2% -2.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 24,579 25.1% +4.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 18,048 18.4% +1.0 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 49.6% of the people living in Putnam County and men 50.4%.
- Women 49.6% New York 51.3%
- Men 50.4% New York 48.7%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Putnam County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Putnam County has a the economy index of A, which means it is very prosperous.
| Metric | Putnam County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $126,338 | $86,556 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.32% | 4.51% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 6.4% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Putnam County is about 46% higher than in New York.
Housing
| Metric | Putnam County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $388,234 | $471,885 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,774 | $1,621 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 83.8% | 54.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Putnam County is about 18.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,774 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Putnam County spend about 68 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 282 hours, about 11.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Putnam County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 33.9 | 28.7 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 67.7 | 57.4 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 282 | 239 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $8,749 | $7,414 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 14.4% | 15.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 10,904 | 9,257 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,865 | 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 Putnam County is 34 minutes, longer 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
Putnam County has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Putnam County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 40.9% | 36.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.68 | 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
Putnam County has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | Putnam County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.9 | 80.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 9.5% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 13.3% | 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).
Putnam County, NY Compared With Nearby Counties
Putnam County, NY is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 98,107 residents against a local median of 406,655. Putnam County, NY's commute, at 33.9 min, runs 46% above the 23.2 min typical of the counties around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Median home price tells the same story from another angle: $388,234 against a local median of $482,100, 19% below it. The counties themselves spread 7.7 min on commute, so Putnam County, NY sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Putnam County, NY has the 6th lowest commute of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Putnam County, NY | 98,107 | $126,338 #2/6 | $388,234 #4/6 | 33.9 min #6/6 |
| Westchester County, NY | 998,212 | $119,541 | $482,100 | 30.6 min |
| Western Connecticut Planning Region, CT | 563,812 | $132,153 | $678,908 | 23.0 min |
| Dutchess County, NY | 298,059 | $99,515 | $226,516 | 23.2 min |
| Rockland County, NY | 340,860 | $110,073 | $698,715 | 22.9 min |
| Orange County, NY | 406,655 | $97,535 | $293,850 | 25.0 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Putnam County, New York.
How big is Putnam County, New York by population?
About 98,107 people live in Putnam County, New York, in 35,545 households of 2.7 people on average. The median age is 42.5, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
How densely populated is Putnam County, New York?
Averaged over its land area, Putnam County, New York has 399 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 4.6 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Putnam County, New York?
The median home costs 3.1 times the median household income ($388,234 against $126,338), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,774 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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