Essex County, New York

County in NY, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

36,973

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

49.9

years ∙ half population younger than 49.9, half older

Diversity Index

15.9%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

4.1%

foreign-born population

95.9%Native

4.1% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Essex County is a county in New York, United States.

Location

County in NY, US

Co-ordinates

DEC44.109601° N, 73.778431° W

DMS44° 06′ 34.56″ N, 73° 46′ 42.35″ W

Population Density & area

20.61/sq mi (7.96/km²)

Total Area

1,916 sq mi (4,963 km²)

Land Area

1,794 sq mi (4,647 km²) · 93.6%

Water Area

122 sq mi (316 km²) · 6.4%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

51.6% male

Male 51.6%

Female 48.4%

males per 100 females

Essex County 106.4

New York 95.5

United States 98

Nativity

4.1%

foreign-born population

95.9%Native

4.1% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Essex County 4.1%

New York 22.8%

United States 14.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

49.9

years ∙ half population younger than 49.9, half older

Essex County

49.9

New York

39.8

United States

38.9

Dependency ratio

71.9

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Essex County 71.9

New York 62.3

United States 64.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Essex County	New York	United States
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	15.4%	20.5%	22%
Working age (18-64)	58.2%	61.6%	60.8%
Senior (65+)	26.4%	17.9%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	71.9	62.3	64.4
Child dependency ratio	26.5	33.2	36.1
Old-age dependency ratio	45.4	29.1	28.3

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

91.6%

Black

1.9%

Asian

0.6%

Hispanic

2.9%

Other

Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

15.9%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Essex County 15.9%

New York 65.4%

United States 61.4%

Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity

Percentage of Essex County population

	Essex County	New York	United States
Hispanic or Latino	2.9%	19.8%	19.3%
Mexican	0.3%	2.6%	11.3%
Puerto Rican	0.6%	5.1%	1.8%
Cuban	0%	0.4%	0.8%
Other Hispanic / Latino	1.9%	11.8%	5.5%
Not Hispanic or Latino	97.1%	80.2%	80.7%
One race	94.8%	76.4%	76.4%
White	91.6%	52.8%	57.4%
Black or African American	1.9%	13.4%	11.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.2%	0.2%	0.5%
Asian	0.6%	9%	5.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0.2%
Some Other Race	0.6%	1%	0.6%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	2.3%	3.8%	4.3%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

59.8% family

Family 59.8%

Non family 40.2%

% family households

Essex County 59.8%

New York 61.4%

United States 64.2%

Average household size

2.12

persons per household

Essex County

2.12

New York

2.49

United States

2.53

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Essex County population

	Essex County	New York	United States
Total households	16,342	7,722,646	129,227,496
Average houshold size	2.12	2.49	2.53
Family households	9,777	4,738,075	82,990,528
Average family size	2.63	3.16	3.14
Married couple family	7,563	3,279,487	60,637,388
Other families	2,214	1,458,588	22,353,140
Male householder	728	398,169	6,572,819
Female householder	1,486	1,060,419	15,780,321
Non-family households	6,565	2,984,571	46,236,968
One-person households	5,447	2,398,170	37,140,836
Male householder	2,718	1,045,868	16,871,444
Senior (65+) living alone	1,235	332,696	5,225,110
Female householder	2,729	1,352,302	20,269,392
Senior (65+) living alone	1,632	673,031	10,089,070
Other living arrangements	1,118	586,401	9,096,132

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

25,484

housing units

Essex County 25,484

New York 8,585,241

United States 143,775,355

Occupancy status

64.1% occupied

Occupied 64.1%

Vacant 35.9%

vacancy rate

Essex County 35.9%

New York 10%

United States 10.1%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

80.8%

Single family houses

80.8%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

13.3%

Mobile homes

5.9%

Boat, RV, van, etc

0.1%

Median Year Built

1971

Half of houses were built before 1971, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

29.9%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

20.9%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

32.5%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

16.7%

Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Essex County	New York	United States
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	5.6	5	5.5
1–3 rooms	15.4%	24.3%	15.1%
4–6 rooms	50.9%	48.4%	51.6%
7+ rooms	33.8%	27.2%	33.4%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	2.5%	5.4%	2.9%
1 bedroom	11.1%	19%	10.9%
2 bedrooms	28.5%	26.6%	25%
3 bedrooms	36.6%	31.1%	38.7%
4+ bedrooms	21.2%	17.9%	22.4%
At a glance
Median year built	1971	1959	1981
Total housing units	25,484	8,585,241	143,775,355

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

77.3% owners

Renter-occupied 22.7%

Owner-occupied 77.3%

homeownership rate

Essex County 77.3%

New York 54.3%

United States 65.2%

Average household size

2.2

Owner-occupied

1.87

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Essex County 2.2

New York 2.66

United States 2.64

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Essex County	New York	United States
Total occupied units	16,342	7,722,646	129,227,496
Year moved in
2020 or later	18.3%	20.5%	24.8%
2010 to 2019	34.1%	36.5%	39.6%
2000 to 2009	18.7%	17.8%	16.4%
1999 or earlier	28.9%	25.2%	19.1%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	99%	94.7%	96.6%
1.01 to 1.50	0.6%	3.1%	2.2%
1.51 or more	0.5%	2.2%	1.2%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	7.4%	29.2%	8.4%
1 vehicle	36%	33.6%	33.1%
2 vehicles	38.4%	25.4%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	18.3%	11.8%	21.9%
House heating fuel used
Gas	20.8%	64%	51.4%
Electricity	21.1%	15.4%	41.3%
Solar	0.2%	0.1%	0.3%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	45.1%	16.1%	3.9%
All other fuels	12.5%	2.8%	2%
No fuel used	0.3%	1.6%	1.2%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.5%	0.4%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	0.8%	0.8%	0.8%
No telephone service available	0.6%	0.9%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$211,900

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Essex County

$211,900

New York

$423,800

United States

$332,700

Housing Cost Burden

28.9%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

28.9%

Owners without a mortgage

12.2%

Renters

47%

Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Essex County	New York	United States
Property value
Median Value	$211,900	$423,800	$332,700
Under $100,000	16.7%	9.5%	11.4%
$100,000 - $200,000	30.7%	15%	15.8%
$200,000 - $300,000	20.5%	13.2%	17.8%
$300,000 - $500,000	18.3%	19.7%	26.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	10.1%	30.1%	20.9%
$1,000,000 and more	3.8%	12.6%	7.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	46.1%	57.8%	60.6%
Without a mortgage	53.9%	42.2%	39.4%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,601	$2,555	$1,963
Without a mortgage	$632	$958	$638
Gross rent
Median rent	$934	$1,621	$1,413

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

32.8%

of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher

Essex County 32.8%

New York 40.2%

United States 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

7.9%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Essex County 7.9%

New York 12%

United States 10.4%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

5,915

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

3.8%

K–12

77.3%

College / Undergraduate

15.2%

Graduate / Professional

3.7%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

30.4%

of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school

Essex County

30.4%

New York

48.5%

United States

40.9%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Essex County	New York	United States
Total enrolled (age 3+)	5,915	4,642,703	80,089,790
Nursery / preschool	3.8%	6.1%	5.7%
K–12	77.3%	64.1%	67.6%
Kindergarten	2.3%	4.9%	5%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	22.6%	18.7%	19.8%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	25.1%	20.1%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	27.3%	20.4%	21.7%
College or graduate school	19%	29.8%	26.7%
College, undergraduate	15.2%	22.5%	21%
Graduate, professional school	3.7%	7.3%	5.8%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	30.4%	48.5%	40.9%
School type
Public school	81.9%	74.7%	82%
Private school	18.1%	25.3%	18%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

29,098

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

2.1%

9th-12th, no diploma

5.8%

HS graduate

32.6%

Some college no degree

15.7%

Associates degree

10.9%

Bachelors degree

18.1%

Graduate or professional degree

14.7%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

60.2% · 39.8%

9th-12th, no diploma

73.6% · 26.4%

HS graduate

57.7% · 42.3%

Some college no degree

49.7% · 50.3%

Associates degree

44.7% · 55.3%

Bachelors degree

45.2% · 54.8%

Graduate or professional degree

42.4% · 57.6%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Essex County	New York	United States
Population (25+)	29,098	14,017,184	230,807,303
Less than 9th grade	2.1%	6%	4.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	5.8%	6%	5.7%
High school diploma or GED	32.6%	24.3%	26%
Some college, no degree	15.7%	14.6%	19.1%
Associate's degree	10.9%	8.8%	8.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	32.8%	40.2%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	18.1%	22.4%	21.6%
Graduate or professional	14.7%	17.9%	14.1%
High School or higher	92.1%	88%	89.6%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$46,945

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$33,700

HS graduate

$41,334

Some college or associates

$45,755

Bachelors degree

$54,965

Graduate or professional degree

$65,114

Poverty Rate

5.7%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

24.5%

HS graduate

13%

Some college or associates

11.5%

Bachelors degree or higher

5.7%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Essex County	New York	United States
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$46,945	$57,966	$52,696
Less than high school graduate	$33,700	$31,511	$32,485
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$41,334	$40,549	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$45,755	$49,306	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$54,965	$76,052	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$65,114	$95,435	$90,720
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	24.5%	28.1%	24.2%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	13%	16.8%	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	11.5%	11.4%	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	5.7%	5.3%	4.5%

Insights for Essex County, by topic

Income By year By race By age By gender

Population By year By race By age By gender

About Neilsberg Research

Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.

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