Albany, New York Population 2024

Albany is located on the Hudson River about 135 miles north of New York City.

Population Density of Albany, New York

Together with Saratoga Springs, Troy, and Schenectady, Albany forms the Capital District, which in turn is made up mostly of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy MSA. This is the 4th largest MSA in the state of New York and the 58th largest in the U.S. with a population of 870,000. The largest limit of metropolitan area around this city has a population of 1.17 million.

Albany Population Diversity

Albany has always been a city of immigrants. Originally it was settled by immigrants from Germany and the Netherlands, although the English overtook the city at the beginning of the 19th century. By the mid-19th century, immigrants from Ireland outnumbered almost all other ethnicities. Later Italians and Poles rose to a majority. In the 20th century, the African-American population began to grow. In 1950, African-Americans accounted for 3% of the people, which doubled by 1960 and again in 1970. By 2010, the African-American population was 30%.

The most common ancestry groups in Albany are Irish (18%), Italian (12%), German (10%), English (5%), and Polish (4%). Albany is noted for having a population that reflects the characteristics of the U.S. consumer population as a whole, more so than any other major city. In fact, Albany is one of the most common test markets for new products.

Albany Population Growth

35 counties in New York experienced a population decline from 2010 to 2013, although downstate New York and Albany experienced population growth. While far from the fastest-growing region in the state, the Capital Region continues modest population growth, according to recent census estimates. Between 2010 and 2013, the region grew by 2,430 immigrants.

Dutch colonists formed the first European settlement in the Albany area in 1614 with the construction of Fort Nassau followed by Fort Orange being built a decade later in its place. The Dutch formed alliances with the Mohawk and Mahican people in the area and developed a fur trade that attracted more settlers. The English took over the nearby village of Beverwijck in 1664 and renamed it the city of Albany after the Duke of Albany. It was chartered under English rule in 1686 and became New York's capital in 1797 after the U.S. gained independence from England.

Throughout the 18th and 19th century, Albany was a major transportation and trade center, and its central location made it home to some of the world's earliest railroad systems. It was also one of the ten most populous cities in the country between 1810 and 1860.

Albany today is one of the oldest surviving settlements of the original 13 colonies, and it is the longest continuously chartered city in the country. It was one of the first cities on earth to install public sewer lines, water mains, electricity, and utilities that attracted new industry. It was also home to one of the world's first commercial airports, which later became Albany International Airport.