Our Resources
It's not media hype. Rensselaer County and the surrounding region have emerged at the beginning of a new century as the ideal location to stake a claim and build a life.
Demographics
| Population (c.2000) |
| Rensselaer County | 152,583 |
| Capital District | 794,293 |
| Race Distribution |
| White | 88.9% |
| Black | 6.6% |
| Hispanic | 2.5% |
| Asian | 2.0% |
| Age Distribution |
| 0-19 | 26.9% |
| 20-34 | 19.7% |
| 35-44 | 16.3% |
| 45-54 | 14.4% |
| 55-59 | 5.0% |
| 60+ | 17.7% |
| Median Age | 37 Years |
| Income |
| Rensselaer County average income per capita (c.2000): | $21,095 |
| Capital District average income per capita (c.2000): | $22,815 |
| National average income per capita (c.2001): | $26.974 |
| Rensselaer County median per household income (c.1999): | $42,905 |
| Capital District median per household income (c.1999): | $45,001 |
| National median per household income (c.1999): | $41,994 |
| Housing |
| Housing in the county is affordable. Average home prices are estimated at $132,892, which attributes to 65% of Rensselaer County's housing being owner occupied. Prices are on the rise though, as they have increased 14% from 2003. A variety of housing options are available from brownstone apartments, rural farms houses, and luxury and modest neighborhood developments. |
Labor Resources
| Number of employers (c.2000) |
| Rensselaer County | 2,688 |
| Capital District | 18,733 |
| Rensselaer County Labor Demographics (c.2000) |
| Employed | 80,147 – 67% of population |
| Unemployed | 4,853 |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.4% |
| Capital District Labor Demographics (c.2000) |
| Employed | 415,141 – 66% of population |
| Unemployed | 23,170 |
| Unemployment Rate | 3.4% (August 2004) |
| New York State Labor Demographics (c.2000) |
| Employed | 8,382,988 – 56% of population |
| Unemployed | 640,108 |
| Unemployment Rate | 5.6% (August 2004) |
The low stress levels for commuters in the Capital District can be attributed to the short commute (averaging 22 minutes) with light traffic patterns on a developed highway infrastructure. It's easy for workers to easily commute between counties – allowing businesses to pull from 415,141 available workers within the Capital District and potential to retain some of the 41,216 residents who travel to another county for work.
| Major Industries, Capital Region |
| Manufacturing/Construction | 13.4% |
| Retail/Wholesale Trade | 14.2% |
| Management, Professional, Finance | 19.4% |
| Educational, Health Services | 24.8% |
| Public Administration | 11.8% |
| Transportation, Utilities, Warehouse | 4.3% |
| Services | 11.6% |
| Rensselaer County |
| White Collar | 67.6% |
| Blue Collar | 32.4% |
| Capital District |
| White Collar | 64% |
| Blue Collar | 36% |
| Average Manufacturing Wage |
| Rensselaer County | $19.69 |
| New York State | $22.26 |
| Tax Information |
| Rensselaer County Tax Rate | 4% |
| New York State Tax Rate | 4.25% |
Unadjusted Range Real Property Tax Rates
(Per $1000 in assessed value) |
| Rensselaer County | $25.22-$208.57 |
| Capital District | $11.60-$53.97 |
Unadjusted Range Real Property Tax Rates
(Per $1000 in market value) |
| Rensselaer County | $14.77-$42.46 |
| Capital District | $11.60-$43.04 |
Transportation options
Highway
Centrally located, Rensselaer County is located at the crossroads of the northeast with a network of two major interstate highways (I-87 and I-90) connecting the east's major cities: New York City (160 miles), Boston (170 miles), Montreal (215 miles), Washington (380 miles) and Buffalo (290 miles).
Rail
The Rensselaer Rail Station continues to maintain it's ranking as the 6th busiest passenger rail station in the nation.
Rensselaer County is also connected with several commercial rail services to access cities throughout the country and Canada, some of which include:
Bus
The Capital District Transportation Authority provides regular bus services to residents of the Capital Region. There are a variety of coach lines that provide long-distance trips to the major cities.
Water
The deepwater Port of Albany provides a year-round waterway transportation along the Hudson River. The Port also connects with the revitalized Erie and Champlain Canal systems, allowing water-based transportation to the Great Lake ports in Buffalo and Burlington VT.
Air
There are 8 major commercial airports and 11 general aviation airports within (3 hour) driving distance to the region. Major airports include:
- Albany International Airport, Albany, NY
- John F Kennedy International, New York, NY
- LaGuardia International, New York (Flushing), NY
- Newark Liberty International, Newark, NJ
- Burlington International, Burlington, VT
- Boston Logan International, Boston, NY
- Bradley International, Hartford, CT
- Stewart International, Newburgh, NY
Educational infrastructure
Colleges and Universities
More than 66,000 students are enrolled in the Capital Region's 12 four-year and six two-year colleges and universities. Rensselaer County, in particular, is home to:
Primary and Secondary Education
Ranked third in "The Best Places with the Best Education" by Forbes Magazine, the Capital Region has clearly gained recognition for its educational system with its top ranking test scores, small class sizes and high college acceptance rates.
Public Schools
The region boasts a superior public education system – low student/teacher ratios of 14:1, high school attendance rates of 94% (6% absentee rate) and 80% of the Capital District graduates go on to college. Over all, $12,191 per year is spent on each pupil in the region.
The Capital Region has 44 public school districts (112,670 schools total), of which there are 12 Rensselaer school districts.
Private Schools
From co-ed and single sex educational institutions, day and boarding schools and religious education, the region's 14,900 private and independent schools provide an alternative to public school education.
- Emma Willard, one the country's most prestigious college-preparatory schools
Healthcare
The Capital Region has access to top-rated healthcare facilities such as Albany Medical Center, a premier teaching hospital ranked in the top 100 in the county, and St. Peters Hospital, one of the nation's top 100 cardiovascular hospitals.
Other area hospitals include: