Rockland County, New York Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Rockland 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 Rockland County, New York. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Rockland County, New York. The estimated population of Rockland County, New York is 336,485 people, with a median age of 35.6.

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

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
336,485
+3.47%
+3.53%
2020
325,213
+0.24%
-
2019
324,422
+0.23%
-
2018
323,686
 -0.41% -
2017
325,027
 - -

Population of Rockland 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
62.9%
63.2%
 -0.47%
Black/African American
10.8%
11.5%
 -6.09%
Native
0.1%
0.1%
 0.00%
Hispanic
18.1%
17.3%
 +4.62%
Asian
5.9%
6%
 -1.67%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0%
0%
 0.00%
Two Or More Races
1.9%
1.4%
 +35.71%
Other
0.5%
0.4%
 +25.00%

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 Rockland 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 35.6 -0.84% 34.2 0% 36.9 -1.6%
2020 35.9 -0.28% 34.2 0% 37.5 -0.53%
2019 36 -0.28% 34.2 -0.29% 37.7 -0.53%
2018 36.1 -0.28% 34.3 0% 37.9 -0.26%
2017 36.2 - 34.3 - 38 -

The median age of Rockland 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 26,378 +2.98% 24,438 +7.74% 27,149 26,356
10 to 19 24,028 +11.72% 23,805 +6.23% 26,941 25,310
20 to 29 21,027 +0.53% 19,745 +3.45% 21,135 20,430
30 to 39 17,977 +6.17% 18,110 +5.6% 19,105 19,130
40 to 49 19,136 -2.71% 19,953 -8.73% 18,592 18,251
50 to 59 21,577 -2.78% 22,474 -3.21% 20,970 21,746
60 to 69 15,266 +13.07% 17,737 +4.13% 17,337 18,481
70+ 13,838 +7.09% 19,538 +5.89% 14,843 20,709

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Rockland County, New York is $99,707.00.

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 Rockland County.

  • Under 25
    $21,277.00
  • 25 to 44
    $95,812.00
  • 45 to 64
    $126,452.00
  • 65 and over
    $77,245.00

Average Household Income

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

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Rockland 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 Rockland County, New York is currently $131,861.00.

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.

19.44% of households in Rockland 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 Rockland County against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    12.91%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    13.79%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    12.11%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    11.33%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    17.67%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    12.76%
  • $200,000 or more
    19.44%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Rockland County is $41,041.00.

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

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in Rockland 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 Rockland 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
    21.30%
  • Bachelor's degree
    35.65%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    7.85%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    29.17%
  • Less than high school diploma
    6.04%

Employment

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

The total population of Rockland County over the age of 16 is 250,450.

Of those people, a total of 63.90% 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 Rockland County is 60.10%.

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 19,721 27.50% 11.20%
20 to 24 years 21,614 69.40% 10.00%
25 to 29 years 19,951 80.80% 7.80%
30 to 34 years 18,419 82.70% 4.00%
35 to 44 years 37,658 82.40% 5.10%
45 to 54 years 40,106 85.60% 4.80%
55 to 59 years 21,611 77.50% 5.30%
60 to 64 years 19,309 67.80% 6.20%
65 to 74 years 28,942 37.20% 5.00%
75 years and over 23,119 10.30% 4.70%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Rockland 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 172,152 61.60% 5.90%
Black or African American 31,258 69.80% 6.20%
American Indian and Alaska Native 423 68.80% 32.00%
Asian 16,787 65.00% 3.80%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 6 0.00% 0.00%
Other 17,900 70.30% 5.50%
Two or more races 11,924 70.80% 8.90%
Hispanic or Latino 43,640 70.30% 7.00%
Not Hispanic or Latino 155,475 60.60% 5.70%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations in Rockland 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 Rockland County is 150,398, with median earnings of $49,641.00.

Women in Rockland County, New York earning approximately 70.40% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 150,398 $49,641.00
Male 78,189 $57,843.00
Female 72,209 $40,726.00

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 16,881 $88,190.00
Business and Financial 8,234 $89,380.00
Computer and Mathematical 4,102 $97,219.00
Architecture and Engineering 1,776 $86,189.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 1,655 $90,347.00
Community and Social Service 4,654 $50,908.00
Legal 2,469 $112,311.00
Educational and Library 16,439 $41,698.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 2,908 $58,828.00
Healthcare Practitioners 11,021 $87,719.00
Healthcare Support 6,180 $28,960.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 2,091 $45,341.00
Law Enforcement 3,008 $106,217.00
Food Preparation and Serving 6,479 $20,218.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 5,166 $29,875.00
Personal Care and Service 4,265 $16,519.00
Sales 14,702 $32,568.00
Office and Administrative Support 16,647 $37,919.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 264 $26,574.00
Construction and Extraction 6,290 $44,683.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 2,819 $51,182.00
Production 3,937 $42,652.00
Transportation and Material Moving 4,748 $31,250.00

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 10,430 $100,618.00 6,451 $71,760.00
Business and Financial 4,249 $94,250.00 3,985 $84,102.00
Computer and Mathematical 3,121 $102,091.00 981 $77,628.00
Architecture and Engineering 1,507 $89,507.00 269 $66,172.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 798 $89,464.00 857 $90,585.00
Community and Social Service 1,815 $45,945.00 2,839 $52,389.00
Legal 1,333 $134,583.00 1,136 $92,938.00
Educational and Library 5,288 $42,301.00 11,151 $41,103.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 1,564 $75,508.00 1,344 $46,250.00
Healthcare Practitioners 3,051 $89,740.00 7,970 $84,435.00
Healthcare Support 1,200 $30,694.00 4,980 $28,746.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 1,540 $68,723.00 551 $13,682.00
Law Enforcement 2,570 $108,000.00 438 $75,882.00
Food Preparation and Serving 3,412 $23,429.00 3,067 $14,075.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 2,981 $37,338.00 2,185 $20,237.00
Personal Care and Service 1,123 $25,169.00 3,142 $15,667.00
Sales 8,643 $52,590.00 6,059 $18,219.00
Office and Administrative Support 4,569 $43,554.00 12,078 $36,081.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 184 $52,750.00 80 $0.00
Construction and Extraction 6,120 $44,764.00 170 $31,934.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 2,709 $52,795.00 110 $26,076.00
Production 2,974 $45,427.00 963 $35,389.00
Transportation and Material Moving 4,080 $35,620.00 668 $25,048.00

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 102,161 households in Rockland County, with an average household size of 3.23 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 77,457 families in Rockland County with an average family size of 3.78 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 62,235 4,079 11,143 24,704
Average Household Size 3.93 3.38 3.74 1.23
Total Families 62,235 4,079 11,143 0
Average Household Size 3.88 3.06 3.47 0

Poverty

Of the 77,457 families in Rockland County, 10.10% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Rockland 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 107,709 housing units in Rockland County, New York.

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

Total Percentage
Occupied 102,161 94.85%
Vacant 5,548 5.15%

29.32% of the total 107,709 housing units in Rockland County are rental units. This is approximately 31,577 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 69,559 are occupied by the owner - or 64.58% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Rockland County is $1,642.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Rockland 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
    1,025
  • Less than $500
    1,999
  • $500 to $999
    3,636
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    7,562
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    9,138
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    4,042
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    2,233
  • $3,000 or more
    2,967

Property Value

The median value of a property in Rockland County is $465,200.00.

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

  • Less than $50,000
    1,224
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    1,504
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    1,076
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    1,973
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    6,599
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    28,286
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    26,328
  • $1,000,000 or more
    2,569

Property Age

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

  • 1939 or earlier
    13,023
  • 1940 to 1949
    3,230
  • 1950 to 1959
    15,153
  • 1960 to 1969
    22,682
  • 1970 to 1979
    19,585
  • 1980 to 1989
    11,322
  • 1990 to 1999
    9,627
  • 2000 to 2009
    8,183
  • 2010 to 2013
    4,863
  • 2014 or later
    41

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 Rockland County that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    10,593
  • 1 vehicle available
    30,962
  • 2 vehicles available
    38,343
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    22,263

Commuting to Work

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

31.2 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Rockland 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
    3,566
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    12,908
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    17,098
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    19,932
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    16,575
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    6,049
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    14,267
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    3,595
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    5,754
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    12,382
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    13,592
  • 90 or more minutes
    8,453

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Rockland 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 Rockland County, New York

We have data for 40 places in Rockland County, New York. Click on a place below to see more information about the demographics of that place.