Herkimer County, New York

NY · FIPS 36043 Republican

Located in New York, Herkimer County has a population of 59,757 residents and a median age of 44.8 years, making it the #899 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 13.4%. The median home value is $147,700, and the median household income is $68,515, which is 9% below the national median.

59,757
Population
#899 of 3,222
$68,515
Median Income
-8.8% #1,298 of 3,222
44.8 years
Median Age
+15.2% #774 of 3,222
13.4%
Poverty Rate
+6.5% #1,624 of 3,222

Demographics

Herkimer County has a population of 59,757, making it the #899 most populous county in the US. The median age is 44.8 years, which is 15.2% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

97.1%
Native Born
2.9%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Herkimer County is $68,515, ranking #1,298 out of 3,222 counties — 8.8% below the national median. The poverty rate is 13.4% and unemployment stands at 4.3%.

Income#1,298
$68,515
-8.8%
vs nation
60th percentile
Per Capita#1,223
$37,228
-9.8%
vs nation
62th percentile
Poverty#1,624
13.4%
+6.5%
vs nation
50th percentile
Unemployment#1,521
4.3%
-18.4%
vs nation
53th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Herkimer County is $147,700 (-47.6% vs national). Renters pay a median of $823/mo and the homeownership rate is 76.6%.

Home Value#2,287
$147,700
-47.6%
vs nation
29th percentile
Rent#1,936
$823
-29.2%
vs nation
40th percentile
Homeownership#1,234
76.6%
+19.0%
vs nation
62th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Herkimer County, 22.7% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 32.7% below the national average, ranking #1,548 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
22.7% −32.7% vs nation
Rank #1,548 of 3,222
52th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Herkimer County is 77.5 years. 15.0% of adults report poor or fair health and 4.8% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#759
77.5
+3.2%
vs nation
75th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#542
15.0%
-23.3%
vs nation
83th percentile
Diabetes#420
8.8%
-20.9%
vs nation
87th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#1,434
37.1%
-0.6%
vs nation
54th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,096
5.4
-3.9%
vs nation
65th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,066
4.1
-7.1%
vs nation
66th percentile
Uninsured Rate#128
4.8%
-54.6%
vs nation
96th percentile
Physical Inactivity#864
23.1%
-12.4%
vs nation
73th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,068
12.7%
-11.8%
vs nation
66th percentile

Substance Use

16.8% of adults in Herkimer County smoke , 37.8% are obese , and 24.6% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 21.6 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#1,218
16.8%
-6.4%
vs nation
61th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,377
37.8%
-0.3%
vs nation
56th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,961
24.6%
+23.6%
vs nation
6th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#676
21.6
-33.3%
vs nation
68th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 12.1 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 8.2 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#308
12.1
-38.5%
vs nation
88th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#152
7.2
-59.5%
vs nation
94th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#186
8.2
-59.7%
vs nation
93th percentile

Families & Children

16.6% of children in Herkimer County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 5.5 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 15.8 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#427
5.5
-18.7%
vs nation
69th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#1,005
15.8
-27.9%
vs nation
67th percentile
Child Poverty#1,367
16.6%
-12.6%
vs nation
57th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Herkimer County is 60.9%. The mean commute time is 27.5 min, which is 0.5% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
60.9% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
27.5 min −0.5% vs nation
Rank #1,384 of 3,222
57th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Herkimer County voted Republican with a margin of 36.4%. The vote was 31.8% Dem / 68.2% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 5.9 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +36.4%
31.8% 68.2%
Dem 28,667 votes Rep
2020 REP +30.5%
33.9% 64.4%
Dem 29,319 votes Rep
2016 REP +34.6%
30% 64.6%
Dem 24,261 votes Rep
2012 REP +8.4%
44.8% 53.2%
Dem 23,290 votes Rep
2008 REP +9.3%
44.5% 53.8%
Dem 27,184 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Herkimer County, New York

Herkimer County, New York has a total population of 59,757, making it the 899th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Herkimer County is 44.8 years, which is 15.2% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Herkimer County is $68,515, which ranks #1,298 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 8.8% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 13.4%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.3%.

The median home value in Herkimer County is $147,700, 47.6% below the national median. Renters in Herkimer County pay a median gross rent of $823 per month. The homeownership rate is 76.6%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Herkimer County, 22.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 32.7% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 95.1% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 27.5 min.

Herkimer County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 90.7% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic or Latino (2.8%).

All data for Herkimer 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.