Albany County, New York Demographics 2026

Name: Albany County, New York Demographics
Creator: U.S. Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

Albany County, New York has a population of 317,018, the 14th most populous county in New York. The median household income is $85,333 and the median home value is $294,600. The poverty rate is 13.0%.

Data vintage: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates · refreshed July 2026 · Methodology & source notes

Albany County Quick Facts

Population 317,018

Median Household Income $85,333

Median Home Value $294,600

Poverty Rate 13.0%

Unemployment Rate 5.0%

Median Age 38.4 years

Homeownership Rate 56.6%

Affordability Ratio 3.5x

Bachelor's Degree+ 46.4%

High School Graduation 93.7%

Cities/Places 15

Population 317,018 14th of 62

Median Income $85,333 about the same as state

Poverty Rate 13.0%

Unemployment 5.0%

How Albany County Changed

Change from the 2019–2023 ACS period to 2020–2024. These are rolling five-year estimates, not year-over-year measurements.

Metric	2019–2023	2020–2024	Change
Population	315,374	317,018	+0.5%
Median household income	$83,149	$85,333	+2.6%
Median home value	$277,400	$294,600	+6.2%

Median Household Income

Albany

$85,333

$85,974

National

$80,734

Median Home Value

Albany

$294,600

$423,800

National

$332,700

Economy & Housing

Household Income Distribution

Under $25K 15.0%

$25K-$50K 13.7%

$50K-$100K 28.3%

$100K+ 42.9%

Detailed income brackets

Under $10K

5.5%

$10K-$15K

3.7%

$15K-$20K

3.0%

$20K-$25K

2.8%

$25K-$30K

2.4%

$30K-$35K

2.6%

$35K-$40K

2.9%

$40K-$45K

2.9%

$45K-$50K

3.0%

$50K-$60K

6.6%

$60K-$75K

9.3%

$75K-$100K

12.5%

$100K-$125K

10.3%

$125K-$150K

8.5%

$150K-$200K

11.5%

$200K+

12.6%

Employment

5.0% Unemployment Rate State: 6.4%|National: 5.2%

63.7% Labor Force Participation

Housing Overview

Owner 56.6%

Renter 43.4%

Affordability Index Affordable

3.5x home value to income ratio

Median gross rent $1,313/mo 18.5% of median household income annually

People & Demographics

Age Distribution

Under 18

18.0%

18-34

27.7%

35-54

23.4%

55-74

23.3%

75+

7.6%

Race & Ethnicity

Diversity Index

Moderate Diversity

Moderate diversity with one or two groups making up the majority.

State average: 65 | National average: 61

Education

Educational Attainment (Adults 25+)

Cities & Places in Albany County

City	Population	Median Income	Poverty	Home Value
Albany	100,492	$61,986	22.9%	$234,700
Cohoes	18,159	$61,145	25.9%	$223,400
Latham	13,802	$104,899	9.0%	$326,900
Roessleville	10,968	$96,058	6.7%	$264,500
Loudonville	10,527	$142,829	3.3%	$391,200
Watervliet	10,287	$57,919	18.4%	$179,700
Westmere	8,334	$88,378	7.2%	$313,400
Colonie	7,702	$103,983	7.4%	$285,400
Menands	4,505	$80,583	5.4%	$271,300
Ravena	3,243	$77,217	5.8%	$209,100
Green Island	2,970	$59,406	20.6%	$138,300
Voorheesville	2,824	$111,172	7.5%	$324,700
Siena College	2,500	N/A	16.0%	N/A
Altamont	1,855	$112,159	6.4%	$318,900
Preston-Potter Hollow	400	$122,956	0.0%	$224,700

Explore New York Rankings

Cities by Population All cities ranked by size Richest Cities Ranked by median income Most Educated By bachelor's degree rate Most Affordable By housing affordability

Population Overview

Albany County is located in New York with a total population of 317,018. It is the 14th most populous county out of 62 in New York. The county encompasses 15 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Albany County is 38.4 years. This is 4% lower than the state median of 39.8 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Albany County is $85,333. This is about the same as the state median of $85,974. It is also 6% higher than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 13.0%. This is 7% lower than the state poverty rate of 14.0%. The unemployment rate is 5.0%. This is 21% lower than the state rate of 6.4%. The median home value is $294,600. Housing costs are 30% lower than the state median of $423,800. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.5x. 56.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 4% higher than the state average of 54.4%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Albany County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 68.0% of the population. Black or African American residents account for 11.5%. The Hispanic or Latino population (7.2%) is well below the state average of 19.8%.

Education

46.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This places Albany County in the top 10% of all counties in the state for educational attainment. This is 15% higher than the state rate of 40.2%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 93.7%. Notably, 22.8% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Albany County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against New York and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the population of Albany County, New York?

Albany County has a population of 317,018, making it the 14th most populous county in New York.

What is the median income in Albany County?

The median household income in Albany County is $85,333 with a poverty rate of 13.0%.

How many cities are in Albany County, New York?

Albany County contains 15 Census-designated places.