Queens County, New York Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Queens County is located in New York with a total population of 2,323,052. It is the 2nd most populous county out of 62 in New York.

Age Demographics

The median age in Queens County is 40.7 years. This is 2% higher than the state median of 39.8 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Queens County is $86,136. This is about the same as the state median of $85,974. It is also 7% higher than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 12.9%. This is 8% lower than the state poverty rate of 14.0%. The unemployment rate is 7.2%. This is 14% higher than the state rate of 6.4%. The median home value is $723,800. Housing costs are 71% higher than the state median of $423,800. The home-value-to-income ratio of 8.4x suggests that housing affordability is a significant concern for many residents. 44.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 17% lower than the state average of 54.4%.

Race & Ethnicity

Queens County is a highly diverse community where no single racial or ethnic group constitutes a majority of the population. Asian residents account for 25.9%. The White (non-Hispanic) population (23.2%) is well below the state average of 52.8%. The Asian population is significantly higher than the state average (25.9% vs 9.0%).

Education

36.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 10% lower 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 82.6%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Queens 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.