Warren County Census data shows rising age of population
Warren County was one of just a handful of New York counties that gained population between 2010 and 2020, as 75% of Upstate NY Counties lost population over that decade, according to the 2020 U.S. Census. The data from the Census also shows another trend in terms of county population – Warren County is now the fourth oldest county in NY State, judged by median age of residents.
An analysis of Census data by Warren County Department of Planning and Community Development found that Hamilton, Columbia and Delaware counties were the three oldest counties in New York, while Warren County’s median resident age of 47.5 years was tied with Essex County for fourth oldest. The Planning Department has created an interactive website breaking down Census trends by county, town and school district.
The data show that Warren County has aged much more rapidly than New York State and the United States as a whole. Its median age stayed relatively close to the state and national averages through 1990 but then began diverging quickly; by 2020, the county's median age was nearly a decade higher than the national average.
In 2020, the U.S. media age was 38.8 years, the New York State median age was 39.0 years, and every municipality in Warren County exceeds these median ages. The municipality with the lowest median age was Glens Falls, at 39.6 years.
The highest median age for a municipality in the county is Hague, with a median age of 61.8. And more than 50% of those living in Hague are over the age of 60.
“In many municipalities, this disparity is much greater than the county's average,” explained Warren County GIS Administrator Sara Frankenfeld, the report’s author. “For example, the town of Bolton has three times as many seniors than it does children, with over 30% of the population aged 65+ and only 10% under age 18. In Hague, Horicon and Lake George, fewer than 15% of the population are children.”
In addition, Bolton, Chester, Hague, Horicon, Johnsburg, Lake George, Lake Luzerne and Stony Creek all have median ages over 50. Even the municipality's fastest growing "suburban" town of Queensbury has a median age of 47.4, and Thurman and Warrensburg also have median ages in the 40s.
One other notable piece of data that emerged from the U.S. Census’s American Community Survey – the percentage of Warren County households living below the poverty threshold dropped from 6.9% in 2010 to 5.3% in 2020.
The demographic report by Warren County Planning and Community Development includes a variety of data by community as well as school district breakdowns and more. You can read the full report here.