Onondaga County, New York Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Onondaga County, New York, including popular demographics data like median age, number of households, household income, gender, employment and unemployment rates, occupations, religion, and more.

We are using the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year survey data from the US Census Bureau, which is accurate up to 2021.

Table of Contents

Population

There is a lot of data that lets us see how many people live in Onondaga County, New York. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Onondaga County, New York. The estimated population of Onondaga County, New York is 474,621 people, with a median age of 39.3.

We can look at the total population in Onondaga County over the last 5 years to see how much it has changed.

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
474,621
+2.82%
+1.49%
2020
461,591
 -0.28% -
2019
462,872
 -0.3% -
2018
464,242
 -0.73% -
2017
467,669
 - -

Population of Onondaga County, New York by Race and Ethnicity

We can also look at how the population has changed over the last 5 years by each of the race/ethnicity types as defined by the US Census Bureau.

Race 2021 2017 Change
White
76%
77.1%
 -1.43%
Black/African American
10.3%
10.7%
 -3.74%
Native
0.4%
0.5%
 -20.00%
Hispanic
5.2%
4.7%
 +10.64%
Asian
3.9%
3.9%
 0.00%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0%
0%
 0.00%
Two Or More Races
3.9%
2.9%
 +34.48%
Other
0.3%
0.2%
 +50.00%

This data can be very important for a number of reasons, including social and economic research, planning and development, and marketing to a multi-cultural population.

Note that the Native group includes both Native American and Alaskan Native people.

Population of Onondaga County, New York by Age and Gender

The age and gender of a population is another interesting demographic statistic because it lets us track trends in the population over time. For example, we can see how the population has changed over the last 5 years by median age as a total, and also by male and female.

Year Total Male Female
2021 39.3 +0.26% 38.2 +0.79% 40.4 -0.25%
2020 39.2 +0.26% 37.9 +0.53% 40.5 -0.25%
2019 39.1 +0.26% 37.7 +0.53% 40.6 0%
2018 39 +0.52% 37.5 +0.81% 40.6 +0.5%
2017 38.8 - 37.2 - 40.4 -

The median age of Onondaga County, New York gives you an idea of the age distribution, with half of the population being older than the median age and half being younger.

This can then be used to infer and compare against birth rates, parent ages, and more metrics to understand the population. For example, an increasing median age indicates an aging population, which can be a sign of a declining population in terms of birth rates and workforce participation.

Age 2021 2017
(Years) Male Female Male Female
0 to 9 28,075 -2.62% 26,097 +3.77% 27,329 27,086
10 to 19 31,524 +2.46% 32,373 -4.2% 32,261 31,007
20 to 29 32,630 -5.5% 32,837 -2.89% 30,867 31,892
30 to 39 27,548 +9.11% 28,499 +8.45% 30,137 30,971
40 to 49 27,008 -5.15% 29,238 -7.44% 25,604 27,103
50 to 59 33,248 -6.58% 35,538 -8.51% 31,063 32,604
60 to 69 24,910 +19.06% 28,203 +13.48% 29,987 32,188
70+ 20,742 +10.7% 29,199 +7.56% 23,054 31,468

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Onondaga County, New York is $66,012.00.

In simple terms, the median income is the middle income of a group of people. Half of the people in the group make more than the median income, and half make less. The median income is a good indicator of the overall income of a group of people, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more.

Median Income by Age

We can also look at the median income by age to see how the median income varies by age, and how it compares to the overall median income for Onondaga County.

  • Under 25
    $32,823.00
  • 25 to 44
    $71,335.00
  • 45 to 64
    $81,276.00
  • 65 and over
    $49,106.00

Average Household Income

Whenever we ask what is the average household income in Onondaga County, we are actually talking about the mean household income.

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Onondaga County, and then dividing that number by the total number of households. This is a good way to get a general idea of the average income of a group of people, but it can be skewed by a very high or very low incomes.

The average household income of Onondaga County, New York is currently $88,117.00.

In terms of accurately summarizing income at a geographic level, the median income is a better metric than the average income because it isn't affected by a small number of very high or very low incomes.

If you had an area where the average income was greater than the median, it can mean that there is significant income inequality, with income being concentrated in a small number of wealthy households.

6.99% of households in Onondaga County are classed as high income households (making $200,000+ per year).

Household Income Tiers

The US Census Bureau divides households into income tiers based on the median income for the area. This is a good way to compare the income of Onondaga County against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    18.90%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    19.30%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    17.46%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    12.96%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    16.72%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    7.67%
  • $200,000 or more
    6.99%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Onondaga County is $36,338.00.

Per capita income is the average income of a person in a given area. It is calculated by dividing the total income of Onondaga County by the total population of Onondaga County.

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in Onondaga County, New York, including people like children, the elderly, unemployed people, retired people, and more.

Education Levels

We can also look at the education levels in Onondaga County to see how many people have a high school degree, a bachelor's degree, or a graduate degree.

Educational attainment is a good indicator of the overall education level of a population, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more to see how education levels affect income, unemployment rates, and more.

  • Master's degree or higher
    19.53%
  • Bachelor's degree
    32.80%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    10.18%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    34.49%
  • Less than high school diploma
    3.00%

Employment

Employment rates are all based around the total population in Onondaga County that are over the age of 16.

The total population of Onondaga County over the age of 16 is 384,967.

Of those people, a total of 62.20% are working or actively looking for work. This is called the labor force participation rate.

The participation rate is a useful market measure because it shows the relative amount of labor resources available to the economy.

The employment to total population rate in Onondaga County is 58.30%.

Employment by Age

We can look at the employment rates by age to see how it compares to the overall employment rate.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
16 to 19 years 28,029 32.40% 17.80%
20 to 24 years 31,665 70.30% 9.40%
25 to 29 years 31,094 84.30% 7.30%
30 to 34 years 31,313 86.20% 4.90%
35 to 44 years 55,067 84.90% 6.00%
45 to 54 years 58,975 81.70% 4.60%
55 to 59 years 32,127 73.00% 4.60%
60 to 64 years 35,302 60.40% 3.20%
65 to 74 years 47,709 26.60% 3.20%
75 years and over 33,686 7.30% 4.80%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Onondaga County. The table below shows the rates for each of the ethnicity groups types defined by the US Census Bureau.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
White 311,412 62.90% 5.00%
Black or African American 38,261 56.50% 12.30%
American Indian and Alaska Native 1,598 51.70% 11.50%
Asian 14,200 56.40% 7.90%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 182 89.60% 0.00%
Other 4,931 67.50% 12.90%
Two or more races 14,383 67.20% 6.10%
Hispanic or Latino 16,622 63.40% 9.40%
Not Hispanic or Latino 304,662 63.00% 5.00%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations in Onondaga County as well as the gender breakdown and earnings of them.

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in Onondaga County is 224,628, with median earnings of $43,998.00.

Women in Onondaga County, New York earning approximately 78.40% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 224,628 $43,998.00
Male 113,770 $50,402.00
Female 110,858 $39,539.00

Occupations by Category

In the table below, we can break down the population and earnings even further by occupation. The list of occupation categories below will show you how many people are employed in each category and the median earnings of each profession.

Occupation Employed Earnings
Management 22,065 $71,100.00
Business and Financial 11,942 $65,366.00
Computer and Mathematical 6,111 $73,099.00
Architecture and Engineering 5,349 $83,542.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 2,127 $53,899.00
Community and Social Service 5,304 $50,625.00
Legal 3,042 $98,750.00
Educational and Library 20,233 $53,130.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 3,800 $35,521.00
Healthcare Practitioners 18,191 $62,369.00
Healthcare Support 7,191 $26,879.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 2,905 $43,369.00
Law Enforcement 2,241 $77,695.00
Food Preparation and Serving 11,603 $17,487.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 7,724 $26,447.00
Personal Care and Service 5,945 $20,361.00
Sales 22,561 $35,408.00
Office and Administrative Support 28,240 $37,183.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 452 $16,389.00
Construction and Extraction 7,908 $46,902.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 5,880 $52,707.00
Production 9,424 $37,923.00
Transportation and Material Moving 7,913 $38,180.00

Occupations by Gender

The table below shows the same occupations from the list above, but we have split them by male and female to see how many male and females work in each occupation, the median earnings, and the male to female ratio of earnings.

That last metric is important because it can be used to look at the gender pay gap between men and women.

Occupation Male Female
Population Earnings Population Earnings
Management 12,359 $78,830.00 9,706 $64,241.00
Business and Financial 6,038 $73,626.00 5,904 $61,518.00
Computer and Mathematical 4,656 $75,957.00 1,455 $67,788.00
Architecture and Engineering 4,670 $83,912.00 679 $77,435.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 1,182 $54,900.00 945 $48,983.00
Community and Social Service 1,643 $44,951.00 3,661 $52,955.00
Legal 1,631 $118,566.00 1,411 $63,657.00
Educational and Library 5,727 $62,086.00 14,506 $49,966.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 1,742 $44,000.00 2,058 $32,524.00
Healthcare Practitioners 4,677 $73,985.00 13,514 $59,320.00
Healthcare Support 1,300 $33,389.00 5,891 $25,914.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 2,187 $49,375.00 718 $22,463.00
Law Enforcement 1,890 $80,294.00 351 $65,875.00
Food Preparation and Serving 4,992 $18,256.00 6,611 $16,956.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 5,575 $28,757.00 2,149 $18,947.00
Personal Care and Service 1,705 $18,267.00 4,240 $20,728.00
Sales 12,319 $51,162.00 10,242 $21,583.00
Office and Administrative Support 7,217 $38,175.00 21,023 $36,884.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 331 $13,977.00 121 $24,063.00
Construction and Extraction 7,570 $47,906.00 338 $29,239.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 5,405 $51,467.00 475 $68,773.00
Production 7,053 $40,990.00 2,371 $30,778.00
Transportation and Material Moving 6,824 $40,659.00 1,089 $31,355.00

Households and Family Size

A household defined bu the US Census Bureau is a group of people who occupy a housing unit. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, group of rooms, or single room occupied as separate living quarters.

There are currently 190,353 households in Onondaga County, with an average household size of 2.39 people.

A family is defined as a group of two or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together in the same household.

There are 114,865 families in Onondaga County with an average family size of 3.04 people.

Households by Marital Status

The four categories of household by marital status are:

  • Married-couple family
  • Male householder with no spouse present
  • Female household with no spouse present
  • Nonfamily household

The table below shows the total number of households and families, with the average sizes of each.

Married Male Female Nonfamily
Total Households 81,248 9,065 24,552 75,488
Average Household Size 3.09 3.18 3.25 1.26
Total Families 81,248 9,065 24,552 0
Average Household Size 3.06 2.8 3.02 0

Poverty

Of the 114,865 families in Onondaga County, 9.80% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Onondaga County:

Household Size Poverty Threshold
1 Person $14,580.00
2 People $19,720.00
3 People $24,860.00
4 People $30,000.00
5 People $35,140.00
6 People $40,280.00
7 People $45,420.00
8 People $50,560.00

Housing

There are 210,851 housing units in Onondaga County, New York.

The table below shows the split between occupied and vacant units:

Total Percentage
Occupied 190,353 90.28%
Vacant 20,498 9.72%

30.15% of the total 210,851 housing units in Onondaga County are rental units. This is approximately 63,564 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 124,179 are occupied by the owner - or 58.89% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Onondaga County is $926.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Onondaga County that fall into a particular rent range. These can then be used to compare with other areas, or to see how they have changed over time.

  • No rent paid
    2,610
  • Less than $500
    7,277
  • $500 to $999
    30,623
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    19,518
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    4,197
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    1,003
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    339
  • $3,000 or more
    607

Property Value

The median value of a property in Onondaga County is $154,100.00.

Just like with rental rates, we can look at the number of properties in Onondaga County that fall into a particular value range.

  • Less than $50,000
    4,940
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    21,559
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    33,047
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    25,563
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    23,780
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    11,713
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    2,858
  • $1,000,000 or more
    719

Property Age

We can also look at the age of properties in Onondaga County. The chart below shows the number of properties in Onondaga County that fall into a particular age range.

  • 1939 or earlier
    48,592
  • 1940 to 1949
    15,188
  • 1950 to 1959
    35,841
  • 1960 to 1969
    27,984
  • 1970 to 1979
    26,607
  • 1980 to 1989
    21,993
  • 1990 to 1999
    14,514
  • 2000 to 2009
    12,331
  • 2010 to 2013
    7,574
  • 2014 or later
    227

Vehicles per Household

The number of vehicles available per household can be a good indicator of the level of affluence in an area. The chart below shows the number of households in Onondaga County that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    23,192
  • 1 vehicle available
    69,317
  • 2 vehicles available
    71,181
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    26,663

Commuting to Work

In this section, we can also look at how people in Onondaga County get to work. The chart below shows the number of people in Onondaga County that commute to work in a particular way.

20.1 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Onondaga County.

These commute times can be compared to other date like income and educational levels to see how they relate to each other and if there are any trends in the data that might suggest a correlation.

  • Less than 5 minutes
    6,084
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    22,483
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    36,693
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    46,405
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    39,585
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    15,287
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    16,825
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    3,555
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    3,877
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    5,793
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    3,865
  • 90 or more minutes
    2,762

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Onondaga County, New York in this article! Hopefully you have found it very useful in your research of the area.

If you use any of the data found on this page, please consider linking back to USPopulation.org as the source and if you have any feedback or data requests, click here to contact us.

Places in Onondaga County, New York

We have data for 38 places in Onondaga County, New York. Click on a place below to see more information about the demographics of that place.