Moving to Albany, New York

by btobers · Published June 21, 2019 · Updated November 18, 2024

The current estimated population of Albany, New York is 97,478, with 48.3% male and 51.7% female. Albany has experienced moderate population growth over the years due to its role as the capital of New York State and a major hub for government, education, and healthcare.

City Facts

Year founded: 1686 (chartered)
County: Albany
Land area: 21.8 square miles
Population density: Approximately 4,470 people per square mile
Area codes: 518, 838
Zip codes: 12201–12212, 12214, 12220, 12222, 12223, 12224, 12226, 12227, 12230, 12232, 12233, 12234, 12235, 12236, 12237, 12238, 12239, 12240, 12241, 12242, 12243, 12244, 12245, 12246, 12247, 12248, 12249, 12250, 12255, 12256, 12257, 12260, 12261, 12288

Geography and Location

Albany, New York, is located on the western bank of the Hudson River, about 150 miles north of New York City and 45 miles south of Saratoga Springs. As the state capital, Albany is a center for government operations and is home to numerous state offices and institutions, including the New York State Capitol and Empire State Plaza. The city is also a key player in the Capital Region, which includes nearby cities such as Schenectady and Troy. Albany is well connected by major highways like Interstate 87 and Interstate 90, as well as rail service via Amtrak. The city’s economy is bolstered by education, healthcare, and technology, with several colleges and universities, including the University at Albany, SUNY. The Hudson River offers scenic views and recreational opportunities, and the nearby Adirondack and Catskill Mountains provide outdoor activities for residents and visitors alike.

Demographics

Median resident age: 31.4 years
Median household income: $30,041
Median house value: $98,300

Population by Race

Races in Albany:

White Non-Hispanic (61.1%)
Black (28.1%)
Hispanic (5.6%)
Two or more races (3.0%)
Other race (2.2%)
Chinese (1.0%)
American Indian (1.0%)
Asian Indian (0.8%)

(Total can be greater than 100% because Hispanics could be counted in other races)

Ancestries: Irish (18.1%), Italian (12.4%), German (10.4%), English (5.2%), Polish (4.3%), French (3.1%).

Elevation: 127 feet

Land area: 21.4 square miles

Population by Education

For population 25 years and over in Albany

High school or higher: 81.2%
Bachelor’s degree or higher: 32.5%
Graduate or professional degree: 15.4%
Unemployed: 12.7%
Mean travel time to work: 19.1 minutes

For population 15 years and over in Albany city

Never married: 45.5%
Now married: 34.3%
Separated: 3.5%
Widowed: 8.5%
Divorced: 8.2%

8.6% Foreign born (2.7% Europe, 2.5% Asia, 2.3% Latin America).

Population change in the 1990s: -4,443 (-4.4%).

Hospitals

Hospitals/medical centers in Albany:

ALBANY MEDICAL CENTER (SOUTH CLINICAL CAMPUS)
ALBANY MEDICAL CENTER (NEW SCOTLAND AV)
ALBANY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL (600 NORTHERN BLVD)
CAPITAL DISTRICT PSYCH CENTER (75 NEW SCOTLAND AVE)
ST PETERS HOSPITAL (315 SOUTH MANNING BLVD)

Airports

Airports certified for carrier operations nearest to Albany:

ALBANY INTL (about 6 miles; ALBANY, NY; Abbreviation: ALB)
FLOYD BENNETT MEMORIAL (about 48 miles; GLENS FALLS, NY; Abbreviation: GFL)
DUTCHESS COUNTY (about 73 miles; POUGHKEEPSIE, NY; Abbreviation: POU)

Other public-use airports nearest to Albany:

SOUTH ALBANY (about 9 miles; SOUTH BETHLEHEM, NY; Abbreviation: 4B0)
WELLS (about 15 miles; SCHENECTADY, NY; Abbreviation: 94D)
RENSSELAER COUNTY (about 15 miles; TROY, NY; Abbreviation: 5B7)

Amtrak stations near Albany:

4 miles: ALBANY-RENSSELAER (RENSSELAER, 555 EAST ST.). Services: ticket office, partially wheelchair accessible, enclosed waiting area, public restrooms, public payphones, snack bar, ATM, free short-term parking, free long-term parking, call for car rental service, taxi stand, public transit connection.
16 miles: SCHENECTADY (332 ERIE BLVD.). Services: ticket office, fully wheelchair accessible, enclosed waiting area, public restrooms, public payphones, vending machines, ATM, free short-term parking, free long-term parking, call for car rental service, taxi stand, public transit connection.

Colleges and Universities

Colleges/Universities in Albany:

SUNY AT ALBANY (Full-time enrollment: 14,168; Location: 1400 WASHINGTON AVE; Public; Website: www.albany.edu; Offers Doctor’s degree)
EXCELSIOR COLLEGE (Full-time enrollment: 7,096; Location: 7 COLUMBIA CIR; Private, not-for-profit; Website: WWW.EXCELSIOR.EDU; Offers Master’s degree)
THE COLLEGE OF SAINT ROSE (Full-time enrollment: 3,116; Location: 432 WESTERN AVE; Private, not-for-profit; Website: www.strose.edu; Offers Master’s degree)
THE SAGE COLLEGES-ALBANY CAMPUS (Full-time enrollment: 1,511; Location: 140 NEW SCOTLAND AVE; Private, not-for-profit; Website: www.sage.edu; Offers Master’s degree)
ALBANY LAW SCHOOL (Full-time enrollment: 713; Location: 80 NEW SCOTLAND AVENUE; Private, not-for-profit; Website: www.als.edu; Offers Master’s degree)
ALBANY COLLEGE OF PHARMACY (Full-time enrollment: 689; Location: 106 NEW SCOTLAND AVE; Private, not-for-profit; Website: panther.acp.edu/)
ALBANY MEDICAL COLLEGE (Full-time enrollment: 635; Location: 47 NEW SCOTLAND AVE; Private, not-for-profit; Website: www.amc.edu; Offers Doctor’s degree)
MARIA COLLEGE OF ALBANY (Full-time enrollment: 429; Location: 700 NEW SCOTLAND AVE; Private, not-for-profit; Website: www.mariacollege.org)
BRYANT AND STRATTON BUSINESS INSTITUTE-ALBANY (Full-time enrollment: 245; Location: 1259 CENTRAL AVE; Private, for-profit)
ITT TECHNICAL INSTITUTE (Full-time enrollment: 141; Location: 13 AIRLINE DR; Private, for-profit; Website: www.itt-tech.edu)
AUSTIN BEAUTY SCHOOL (Full-time enrollment: 61; Location: 527 CENTRAL AVE; Private, for-profit)
ORLO SCHOOL OF HAIR DESIGN AND COSMETOLOGY (Full-time enrollment: 59; Location: 232 N ALLEN ST; Private, for-profit)
NEW SCHOOL OF RADIO AND TELEVISION (Full-time enrollment: 58; Location: 50 COLVIN AVE; Private, for-profit; Website: nsrt.org)
ADULT PRACTICAL NURSING-ALBANY BOCES (Full-time enrollment: 47; Location: 1015 WATERVLIET SHAKER RD; Public)
MEMORIAL HOSPITAL SCHOOL OF NURSING (Full-time enrollment: 25; Location: 600 NORTHERN BLVD; Private, not-for-profit; Website: www.nehealth.com)
SUNY-SPECIAL F UNIT (Location: STATE UNIVERSITY PLZ; Public; Offers Doctor’s degree)
BARBIZON MODELING OF ALBANY (Location: 1991 CENTRAL AVE; Private, for-profit)
SUNY-SYSTEM OFFICE (Location: STATE UNIVERSITY PLZ; Public; Offers Master’s degree)

Other colleges/universities with over 2000 students near Albany:

SIENA COLLEGE (about 4 miles; LOUDONVILLE, NY; Full-time enrollment: 3,001)
RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE (about 10 miles; TROY, NY; Full-time enrollment: 7,150)
HUDSON VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE (about 10 miles; TROY, NY; Full-time enrollment: 6,337)
UNION COLLEGE (about 15 miles; SCHENECTADY, NY; Full-time enrollment: 2,315)
SCHENECTADY COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE (about 16 miles; SCHENECTADY, NY; Full-time enrollment: 2,316)
SUNY EMPIRE STATE COLLEGE (about 29 miles; SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY; Full-time enrollment: 4,499)
SKIDMORE COLLEGE (about 29 miles; SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY; Full-time enrollment: 2,317)

Schools

Public high schools in Albany:

ALBANY HS (Students: 2,833; Location: 700 WASHINGTON AVE; Grades: 09 – 12)
COLONIE CENTRAL HS (Students: 1,892; Location: 1 RAIDER BLVD; Grades: 09 – 12)

Private high schools in Albany:

THE ALBANY ACADEMY (Students: 499; Location: 135 ACADEMY ROAD; Grades: PK – 12; Boys only)
CHRISTIAN BROTHERS ACADEMY (Students: 444; Location: 12 AIRLINE DR; Grades: 6 – 12; Boys only)
BISHOP MAGINN HIGH SCHOOL (Students: 395; Location: 99 SLINGERLAND STREET; Grades: 9 – 12)
ALBANY ACADEMY FOR GIRLS (Students: 365; Location: 140 ACADEMY ROAD; Grades: PK – 12; Girls only)
ACADEMY OF THE HOLY NAMES UPPE (Students: 243; Location: 1075 NEW SCOTLAND ROAD; Grades: 9 – 12; Girls only)
SAINT ANNE INSTITUTE (Students: 135; Location: 160 NORTH MAIN AVENUE; Grades: 7 – 12; Girls only)
LASALLE SCHOOL (Students: 133; Location: 391 WESTERN AVENUE; Grades: 6 – 12; Boys only)
COLONY CHRISTIAN ACADAMY (Students: 30; Location: 1 VAN BUREN AVE; Grades: KG – 12)

Biggest public primary/middle schools in Albany:

SAND CREEK MS (Students: 1,064; Location: 329 SAND CREEK RD; Grades: 05 – 08)
LISHA KILL MS (Students: 873; Location: 68 WATERMAN AVE; Grades: 05 – 08)
PHILIP SCHUYLER ES (Students: 870; Location: 141 WESTERN AVE; Grades: PK – 06)
NEW COVENANT CHARTER SCHOOL (Students: 858; Location: 50 N LARK ST; Grades: KG – 08)
PHILIP LIVINGSTON MAGNET ACAD (Students: 829; Location: 315 NORTHERN BLVD; Grades: 06 – 08)
WILLIAM S. HACKETT MS (Students: 823; Location: 45 DELAWARE AVE; Grades: 06 – 08)
BOCES ALBANY-SCHOH-SCHENECTADY-SARAT (Students: 819; Location: 1031 WATRVLT-SHAKER R; Grades: PK – PK)
ALBANY SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES (Students: 652; Location: 108 WHITEHALL RD; Grades: PK – 06)
SCHOOL 19 (Students: 621; Location: 369 NEW SCOTLAND AVE; Grades: KG – 06)
THOMAS S. O’BRIEN ACAD OF SCI & TECH (Students: 588; Location: 100 DELAWARE AVE; Grades: PK – 06)

Biggest private primary/middle schools in Albany:

ACAD HOLY NAMES LW AND MID SCH (Students: 257; Location: 1065 NEW SCOTLAND ROAD; Grades: PK – 8; Girls only)
HOLY CROSS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (Students: 256; Location: 10 ROSEMONT STREET; Grades: PK – 8)
ST CATHERINE OF SIENA (Students: 254; Location: 35 HURST AVE; Grades: PK – 8)
CHRIST THE KING ELEM SCHOOL (Students: 246; Location: 20 SUMTER AVENUE; Grades: PK – 8)
BLESSED SACRAMENT SCHOOL (Students: 230; Location: 605 CENTRAL AVENUE; Grades: PK – 8)
ST TERESA OF AVILA SCHOOL (Students: 207; Location: 8 HOLLYWOOD AVENUE; Grades: PK – 8)
OUR SAVIOR S LUTHERAN SCHOOL (Students: 203; Location: 63 MOUNTAIN VIEW AVENUE; Grades: PK – 6)
ST JAMES INSTITUTE (Students: 194; Location: 50 SUMMIT AVENUE; Grades: PK – 8)
BET SHRAGA HEB ACAD OF CAPITAL (Students: 176; Location: 54 SAND CREEK ROAD; Grades: KG – 8)
ST. CASIMIR REGIONAL SCHOOL (Students: 157; Location: 309 SHERIDAN AVE.; Grades: KG – 8)

Libraries

Library in Albany:

ALBANY PUBLIC LIBRARY (Operating income: $3,647,844; Location: 161 WASHINGTON AVENUE; 270,558 books; 18,655 audio materials; 9,539 video materials; 753 serial subscriptions)