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Rensselaer County, New York facts for kids

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Rensselaer County
Rensselaer County Courthouse
Rensselaer County Courthouse
Flag of Rensselaer County
Flag
Official seal of Rensselaer County
Seal
Map of New York highlighting Rensselaer County
Location within the U.S. state of New York
Map of the United States highlighting New York
New York's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  New York
Founded February 7, 1791; 233 years ago (1791-02-07)
Named for Kiliaen van Rensselaer
Seat Troy
Largest city Troy
Area
 • Total 665 sq mi (1,720 km2)
 • Land 652 sq mi (1,690 km2)
 • Water 13 sq mi (30 km2)  1.9%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 161,133
 • Density 247.0/sq mi (95.4/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional districts 20th, 21st

Rensselaer County /rɛnsəˈlɪər/ is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 161,130. Its county seat is Troy. The county is named in honor of the family of Kiliaen van Rensselaer, the original Dutch owner of the land in the area. The county is part of the Capital District region of the state.

Rensselaer County is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Rensselaer County 1829 Restored
Map of Rensselaer County in 1829

The area that is now Rensselaer County was inhabited by the Algonquian-speaking Mohican Indian tribe at the time of European encounter. Kiliaen van Rensselaer, a Dutch jeweler and merchant, purchased the area in 1630 and incorporated it in his patroonship Rensselaerswyck. (It was part of the Dutch colony New Netherland).

The land passed into English rule in 1664; the Dutch regained control in 1673, but the English took it back in 1674. Until 1776, the year of American independence, the county was under English or British control. The county was not organized as a legal entity until after the Revolution, in 1791, when it was created from an area that was originally part of the very large Albany County.

In 1807, in a county re-organization, the rural sections of Troy were set off as Towns, and the city was incorporated. The two towns created were Brunswick (named for Duke Friedrich Wilhelm of Braunschweig-Lüneburg) and Grafton (named for Henry FitzRoy, 5th Duke of Grafton). A third town, Philipstown, was set off in 1806. In 1808, it was renamed Nassau after the duke of that area.

Geography

BrunswickAutumn
A farm in Brunswick

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 665 square miles (1,720 km2), of which 652 square miles (1,690 km2) is land and 13 square miles (34 km2) (1.9%) is water.

Rensselaer County is located in the far eastern part of New York State. The eastern boundary of the county runs along the New YorkVermont and New YorkMassachusetts borders.

The terrain runs from level and flat near the Hudson and then rises into the Rensselaer Plateau around Poestenkill and Sand Lake, then to the Taconic Mountains along the Massachusetts state line.

The highest point is Berlin Mountain, 2,818 feet (859 m) above sea level, in the town of Berlin. The lowest point is 62 feet (19 m) above sea level at the Hudson River's southernmost extent in the county.

The Hoosic River, a tributary of the Hudson River, is in the northern part of the county.

Depending on precise location within the county, road travel distance to New York City ranges between 132 and 178 miles (212 and 286 km).

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1800 30,442
1810 36,309 19.3%
1820 40,153 10.6%
1830 49,424 23.1%
1840 60,259 21.9%
1850 73,363 21.7%
1860 86,328 17.7%
1870 99,549 15.3%
1880 115,328 15.9%
1890 124,511 8.0%
1900 121,697 −2.3%
1910 122,276 0.5%
1920 113,129 −7.5%
1930 119,781 5.9%
1940 121,834 1.7%
1950 132,607 8.8%
1960 142,585 7.5%
1970 152,510 7.0%
1980 151,966 −0.4%
1990 154,429 1.6%
2000 152,538 −1.2%
2010 159,429 4.5%
2020 161,130 1.1%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2020

As of the census of 2010, there were 159,429 people, 62,694 households, and 39,989 families residing in the county. The population density was 233 inhabitants per square mile (90/km2). There were 69,120 housing units at an average density of 109 units per square mile (42/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 88.73% White, 7.14% Black or African American, 0.23% Native American, 1.71% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.89% from other races, and 1.34% from two or more races. 5.01% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 22.3% were of Irish, 14.7% Italian, 12.8% German, 7.5% English, 6.2% French, 5.3% American and 2.3% Puerto Rican ancestry according to Census 2010. 95.4% spoke English and 2.7% Spanish as their first language.

There were 61,094 households, out of which 33.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.80% were married couples living together, 12.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.80% were non-families. 27.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.02.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.20% under the age of 18, 10.10% from 18 to 24, 29.10% from 25 to 44, 23.00% from 45 to 64, and 13.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 95.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $42,905, and the median income for a family was $52,864. Males had a median income of $36,666 versus $28,153 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,095. About 6.70% of families and 9.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.90% of those under age 18 and 6.60% of those age 65 or over.

2020 census

Rensselaer County racial composition
Race Num. Perc.
White (NH) 124,600 77.32%
Black or African American (NH) 11,800 7.32%
Native American (NH) 310 0.2%
Asian (NH) 5,711 3.54%
Pacific Islander (NH) 17 0.01%
Other/Mixed (NH) 9,210 6%
Hispanic or Latino 9,482 6%

Education

The county is serviced by 16 school districts. Some are completely contained in the county while some cross county lines into other counties. No school districts cross either the Vermont or Massachusetts state borders. Below is a table that shows the districts within the county, which BOCES they belong to, and which other counties they may serve.

District BOCES Other counties
district serves
Averill Park Central School District Questar III None
Berlin Central School District Questar III None
Brunswick (Brittonkill) Central School District Questar III None
Cambridge Central School District WSWHE BOCES Washington County
East Greenbush Central School District Questar III Columbia County
Hoosic Valley Central School District Questar III Washington County
Hoosick Falls Central School District N/A Washington County
Ichabod Crane Central School District Questar III Columbia County
Lansingburgh Central School District Questar III None
Mechanicville City School District WSWHE BOCES Saratoga County
New Lebanon Central School District Questar III Columbia County
North Greenbush Common School District Questar III None
Rensselaer City School District Questar III None
Schodack Central School District Questar III Columbia County
Troy City School District Capital Region Boces None
Wynantskill Union Free School District Questar III None
The private, coeducational Doane Stuart School is also located in Rensselaer County.

The county is also home to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the oldest operating technological college in America.

Communities

RensselaerCounty Map 2
Map of towns, cities and villages within Rensselaer County

Cities

Towns

Villages

Census-designated places

Hamlets

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Rensselaer para niños

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