Essex County, New York
Located in New York, Essex County has a population of 36,973 residents and a median age of 49.9 years, making it the #1,285 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 11.2%. The median home value is $211,900, and the median household income is $71,661, which is 5% below the national median.
Demographics
Essex County has a population of 36,973, making it the #1,285 most populous county in the US. The median age is 49.9 years, which is 28.3% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Essex County is $71,661, ranking #1,074 out of 3,222 counties — 4.6% below the national median. The poverty rate is 11.2% and unemployment stands at 4.0%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Essex County is $211,900 (-24.8% vs national). Renters pay a median of $934/mo and the homeownership rate is 77.3%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Essex County, 32.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 2.7% below the national average, ranking #583 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Essex County is 78.4 years. 14.7% of adults report poor or fair health and 5.4% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
17.7% of adults in Essex County smoke , 36.0% are obese , and 22.3% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 25.2 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The suicide rate is 11.2 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 6.1 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
16.5% of children in Essex County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 9.1 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Essex County is 63.7%. The mean commute time is 24.8 min, which is 10.0% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Essex County voted Democratic with a margin of 0.6%. The vote was 50.3% Dem / 49.7% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.4 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Essex County, New York
Essex County, New York has a total population of 36,973, making it the 1,285th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Essex County is 49.9 years, which is 28.3% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Essex County is $71,661, which ranks #1,074 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 4.6% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 11.2%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.0%.
The median home value in Essex County is $211,900, 24.8% below the national median. Renters in Essex County pay a median gross rent of $934 per month. The homeownership rate is 77.3%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Essex County, 32.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 2.7% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 95.0% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 24.8 min.
Essex County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 91.6% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
All data for Essex 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.