Kings County, New York Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Kings County is located in New York with a total population of 2,631,580. It is the 1st most populous county out of 62 in New York.

Age Demographics

The median age in Kings County is 36.5 years. This is 8% lower than the state median of 39.8 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Kings County is $80,263. This is 7% lower than the state median of $85,974. It is also about the same as the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 19.1%. This is 37% higher than the state poverty rate of 14.0%. The unemployment rate is 7.9%. This is 24% higher than the state rate of 6.4%. The median home value is $905,000. Housing costs are 114% higher than the state median of $423,800. The home-value-to-income ratio of 11.3x suggests that housing affordability is a significant concern for many residents. 29.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 46% lower than the state average of 54.4%.

Race & Ethnicity

Kings County is a highly diverse community where no single racial or ethnic group constitutes a majority of the population. Black or African American residents account for 26.6%. The Black or African American population is significantly higher than the state average (26.6% vs 13.4%).

Education

42.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 5% 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 84.4%. Notably, 17.1% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Kings 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.