Schenectady County, New York Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Schenectady 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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B
Income Around average
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B
Education Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Schenectady County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 160,313 | 19,748,855 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 765.9 | 362.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.43% | 0.05% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.5 | 38.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 66,870 | 7,694,043 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Schenectady County grew by 6.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 160,313 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Schenectady County is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 21.5% of residents. That is 0.8 points below New York as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 33,468 20.9% +0.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 34,398 21.5% -0.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 32,337 20.2% -0.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 27,658 17.3% -0.1 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 51.1% of the people living in Schenectady County and men 48.9%.
- Women 51.1% New York 51.3%
- Men 48.9% New York 48.7%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Schenectady County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Schenectady County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Schenectady County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $80,482 | $86,556 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.76% | 4.51% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.8% | 6.4% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Schenectady County is about 7% lower than in New York.
Housing
| Metric | Schenectady County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $212,185 | $471,885 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,193 | $1,621 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 64.1% | 54.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Schenectady County is about 14.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,193 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Schenectady 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 180 hours, about 7.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Schenectady County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.6 | 28.7 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 43.1 | 57.4 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 180 | 239 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,568 | $7,414 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 14.3% | 15.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 10,606 | 9,257 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,736 | 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 Schenectady 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
Schenectady County has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Schenectady County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 31.6% | 36.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.32 | 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
Schenectady County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Schenectady County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.8 | 80.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.6% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 16.0% | 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).
Schenectady County, NY Compared With Nearby Counties
Schenectady County, NY is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 160,313 residents against a local median of 49,864. Where Schenectady County, NY breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 39% above the local median of $152,503 at $212,185.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $80,482 against a local median of $69,692, 15% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is median household income, and at 15% above the local median it puts Schenectady County, NY at the better end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $84,143 on median home price, so Schenectady County, NY sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Schenectady County, NY has the highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schenectady County, NY | 160,313 | $80,482 #3/6 | $212,185 #1/6 | 21.6 min #4/6 |
| Albany County, NY | 317,009 | $85,884 | $182,714 | 18.8 min |
| Saratoga County, NY | 238,162 | $100,718 | $99,814 | 23.0 min |
| Montgomery County, NY | 49,528 | $66,179 | $152,503 | 21.0 min |
| Schoharie County, NY | 30,049 | $69,692 | $154,687 | 25.5 min |
| Fulton County, NY | 49,864 | $66,582 | $98,571 | 20.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Schenectady County, New York.
How many people live in Schenectady County, New York?
About 160,313 people live in Schenectady County, New York, in 66,870 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 38.5, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Schenectady County, New York mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Schenectady County, New York has 766 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 8.9 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Schenectady County, New York an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 2.6 times the median household income ($212,185 against $80,482), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,193 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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