Albany County, New York

NY · FIPS 36001 Democrat

Located in New York, Albany County has a population of 317,018 residents and a median age of 38.4 years, making it the #232 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 13.0%. The median home value is $294,600, and the median household income is $85,333, which is 14% above the national median.

317,018
Population
#232 of 3,222
$85,333
Median Income
+13.6% #414 of 3,222
38.4 years
Median Age
-1.3% #2,510 of 3,222
13.0%
Poverty Rate
+3.4% #1,531 of 3,222

Demographics

Albany County has a population of 317,018, making it the #232 most populous county in the US. The median age is 38.4 years, which is 1.3% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

88.0%
Native Born
12.0%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Albany County is $85,333, ranking #414 out of 3,222 counties — 13.6% above the national median. The poverty rate is 13.0% and unemployment stands at 5.0%.

Income#414
$85,333
+13.6%
vs nation
87th percentile
Per Capita#269
$48,210
+16.8%
vs nation
92th percentile
Poverty#1,531
13.0%
+3.4%
vs nation
52th percentile
Unemployment#2,040
5.0%
-5.0%
vs nation
37th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Albany County is $294,600 (+4.5% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,313/mo and the homeownership rate is 56.6%.

Home Value#655
$294,600
+4.5%
vs nation
80th percentile
Rent#405
$1,313
+12.9%
vs nation
87th percentile
Homeownership#3,079
56.6%
-12.1%
vs nation
4th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Albany County, 46.4% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 37.7% above the national average, ranking #146 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
46.4% +37.7% vs nation
Rank #146 of 3,222
95th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Albany County is 78.5 years. 12.4% of adults report poor or fair health and 4.5% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#519
78.5
+4.5%
vs nation
83th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#100
12.4%
-36.6%
vs nation
97th percentile
Diabetes#271
8.4%
-24.5%
vs nation
91th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#1,433
37.1%
-0.6%
vs nation
54th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#664
5.2
-8.5%
vs nation
79th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#352
3.7
-17.9%
vs nation
89th percentile
Uninsured Rate#93
4.5%
-56.7%
vs nation
97th percentile
Physical Inactivity#558
21.6%
-18.1%
vs nation
82th percentile
Food Insecurity#696
11.6%
-19.5%
vs nation
78th percentile

Substance Use

12.7% of adults in Albany County smoke , 33.5% are obese , and 23.2% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 30.1 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#259
12.7%
-29.3%
vs nation
92th percentile
Adult Obesity#512
33.5%
-11.6%
vs nation
84th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,701
23.2%
+16.9%
vs nation
14th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,172
30.1
-6.9%
vs nation
45th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Albany County is 3.7 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 9.4 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 5.5 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#384
3.7
-53.3%
vs nation
75th percentile
Suicide Rate#89
9.4
-52.5%
vs nation
97th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#119
6.7
-62.7%
vs nation
95th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#35
5.5
-73.1%
vs nation
99th percentile

Families & Children

14.6% of children in Albany County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 5.5 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 7.5 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#416
5.5
-19.6%
vs nation
70th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#225
7.5
-65.6%
vs nation
93th percentile
Child Poverty#1,043
14.6%
-23.1%
vs nation
67th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Albany County is 65.6%. The mean commute time is 23.7 min, which is 14.3% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
65.6% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
23.7 min −14.3% vs nation
Rank #2,215 of 3,222
31th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Albany County voted Democratic with a margin of 25.8%. The vote was 62.9% Dem / 37.1% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 5.7 toward Republicans .

2024 DEM +25.8%
62.9% 37.1%
Dem 147,149 votes Rep
2020 DEM +31.5%
64.6% 33.1%
Dem 154,101 votes Rep
2016 DEM +24.3%
59.5% 35.2%
Dem 125,644 votes Rep
2012 DEM +30.9%
64.4% 33.5%
Dem 125,531 votes Rep
2008 DEM +29.4%
63.8% 34.4%
Dem 147,266 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Albany County, New York

Albany County, New York has a total population of 317,018, making it the 232nd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Albany County is 38.4 years, which is 1.3% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Albany County is $85,333, which ranks #414 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 13.6% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 13.0%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.0%.

The median home value in Albany County is $294,600, 4.5% above the national median. Renters in Albany County pay a median gross rent of $1,313 per month. The homeownership rate is 56.6%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Albany County, 46.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 37.7% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 96.8% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 23.7 min.

Albany County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 68.0% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (11.5%) and Asian (non-Hispanic) (7.5%).

All data for Albany County, New York comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.