City profile · New York · Census ACS 2023

Albany, NY

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Albany — drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

100,081
Residents
$59,485
Median income
$223,000
Median home
$1,579
Median rent

Data Snapshot: Albany, NY

Albany is a city in New York with a population of 100,081 residents based on U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here reaches $59,485 per year, while the poverty rate sits at 13.1%. Typical homes in Albany are valued around $223,000, and the median resident age is 31.9 years. About 44.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 58.3% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 242 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Building Boom), up 2100% from five years earlier. FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 3665.2 incidents per 1,000 residents, above the national average, indicating elevated public-safety concerns. NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 49.4°F with 40.7 inches of precipitation per year and 59.2 inches of snowfall.

On a cost-of-living index where 100 equals the national average, New York registers 107.9 (Near Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,579 per month. Average monthly utility bills run around $285 based on EIA 2023 residential energy data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 69.4 out of 100 (Moderate).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, PlainCities renders standardized city-level demographic, income, education, employment, and housing indicators across more than 19,000 incorporated places nationwide. Population counts and median household income figures are sourced directly from Census Table B01003 and B19013 respectively, with poverty rates from B17001 and cost-of-living adjustments from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities (RPP) 2024 release. Every value displayed in this snapshot links back to the official upstream tables and is refreshed on the ACS annual release cadence (typically December of the survey year + 1).

Methodology: city boundaries follow the Census Bureau's place-level geography (incorporated places, census-designated places, and consolidated city-county governments), with FIPS codes ensuring consistent identifiers across decennial and annual surveys. Cost-of-living comparisons use BEA's Regional Price Parities (RPP) indexed to the national average (100), enabling cross-city purchasing-power comparisons. See our methodology page for full source attribution, refresh cadence, and known data quality limitations including margin-of-error disclosure and sample-size thresholds.

Population

100,081 residents

Census ACS 2023 — New York

Median Household Income

$59,485 /yr

Poverty 13.1%

Cost of Living Index

107.9 (US=100)

Near Average — BEA RPP 2024

How does Albany compare to other US cities?

Where Albany sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure — computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 34% higher than other cities
Home value 49% pricier than other cities
Median rent 78% pricier than other cities
Safety 9% safer than other cities

Percentiles compare Albany against every US city with at least 1,000 residents. "Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Income distribution context

Household income distribution — Albany, NY Quintile shares of aggregate household income for Albany, NY. The Lorenz curve traces cumulative income share against cumulative population share — perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Albany, NY — median $59,485/yr — Census ACS quintile shares QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Household income distribution for Albany, NY — Census ACS 5-year estimates. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 44.8%

Census ACS S1501 — educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 13.1%

Census ACS S1701 — poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 58.3%

Census ACS S2301 — share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
100,081
Median Income
$59,485
Median Home Value
$223,000
Median Age
31.9
Poverty Rate
13.1%
Labor force participation
58.3%
Bachelor's Degree+
44.8%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
3665.2
per 1,000 residents
Violent Crime
816.9
per 1,000 residents
Property Crime
2848.3
per 1,000 residents

Climate

Avg Temperature
49.4°F
Annual Precipitation
40.7"
Annual Snowfall
59.2"

Schools

Total Schools
34
Public schools in this city

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) — annual residential permits authorized

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
242
housing units authorized
Single-Family
1
detached homes
Multifamily
241
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
2.4
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 11
2020 48
2021 428
2022 407
2023 57
2024 242

Permit volume increased 2100% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work — Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
54.8%
Carpool
10.3%
Public Transit
10.9%
Walk
9.3%
Work from Home
11.9%
Other
2.8%

Based on 49,353 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for New York — EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$130
avg/month
Natural Gas
$90
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$65
avg/month
Total Utilities
$285
estimated/month

Estimates reflect New York state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

New York state-level data from PlainCost, PlainRent, and PlainHazard

Cost of Living Index
107.9
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,579/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
State-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
69.4 / 100
Moderate
FEMA NRI composite score

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity — Albany, NY Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Albany, NY — Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE — sums to 100% 59.5% 12.1% 6.1% 10.6% 10.3% ETHNICITY — Hispanic or Latino (any race) 18.7% White 59.5% Black or African American 12.1% Asian 6.1% American Indian 1.2% Native Hawaiian 0.2% Some other race 10.6% Two or more races 10.3% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

National-average reference values shown when city-level race/ethnicity table is not loaded. Source: Census ACS 5-year, OMB Directive 15 race-and-ethnicity categories.

How Albany compares to nearby New York cities

Census ACS 2023 — population and median income benchmarks

Side-by-side population + income comparison anchored on the current city (Albany) plus the nearest peer cities in New York, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).
Selected

NY

Albany

59.48% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$59,485
Brackets
100
Selected

NY

New Rochelle

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$8,160
Brackets
82
Selected

NY

Cheektowaga

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$7,630
Brackets
76
Selected

NY

Mount Vernon

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$7,250
Brackets
73
Census ACS 5-year FIPS NY FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Albany, NY?

What is the population of Albany, NY? +

Albany, NY has a population of 100,081 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Albany, NY? +

The median household income in Albany is $59,485 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Albany? +

Albany has a cost of living index of 107.9 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data.

Is Albany, NY safe? +

Albany has a total crime rate of 3665.2 per 1,000 residents, which is above the national average. Source: FBI UCR data.

What is the median home value in Albany, NY? +

The median home value in Albany is $223,000, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Albany? +

Albany has an average annual temperature of 49.4°F, 40.7 inches of precipitation, and 59.2 inches of snowfall per year. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Related

Data sourced from official U.S. government datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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