Rensselaer County, New York
Located in New York, Rensselaer County has a population of 160,332 residents and a median age of 40.1 years, making it the #433 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 11.8%. The median home value is $258,400, and the median household income is $87,915, which is 17% above the national median.
Demographics
Rensselaer County has a population of 160,332, making it the #433 most populous county in the US. The median age is 40.1 years, which is 3.1% 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 Rensselaer County is $87,915, ranking #351 out of 3,222 counties — 17.0% above the national median. The poverty rate is 11.8% and unemployment stands at 5.3%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Rensselaer County is $258,400 (-8.3% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,217/mo and the homeownership rate is 64.8%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Rensselaer County, 37.6% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 11.4% above the national average, ranking #361 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Rensselaer County is 77.8 years. 13.5% of adults report poor or fair health and 4.4% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
13.0% of adults in Rensselaer County smoke , 34.6% are obese , and 23.6% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 27.4 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Rensselaer County is 3.9 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 10.9 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 6.1 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
16.3% of children in Rensselaer County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 5.2 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 11.4 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Rensselaer County is 64.5%. The mean commute time is 26.2 min, which is 4.9% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Rensselaer County voted Democratic with a margin of 1.4%. The vote was 50.7% Dem / 49.3% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.2 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Rensselaer County, New York
Rensselaer County, New York has a total population of 160,332, making it the 433rd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Rensselaer County is 40.1 years, which is 3.1% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Rensselaer County is $87,915, which ranks #351 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 17.0% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 11.8%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.3%.
The median home value in Rensselaer County is $258,400, 8.3% below the national median. Renters in Rensselaer County pay a median gross rent of $1,217 per month. The homeownership rate is 64.8%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Rensselaer County, 37.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 11.4% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 96.6% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 26.2 min.
Rensselaer County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 78.7% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (6.5%) and Hispanic or Latino (6.2%).
All data for Rensselaer 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.