Warren and Washington Counties

Tables of selected demographics ››

This metro area has roughly 125,000 residents, based on the 2000 Census, and the population is nearly evenly split between Warren and Washington counties. Both counties are mostly rural, though Warren includes the city of Glens Falls, as well as the resort of Lake George.

The metro area lags the state and the nation in both income and educational attainment-median household income was somewhat under $40,000 in 1999, and only 19 percent of adults held college degrees (see table below). However, a much higher proportion of adults hold college degrees in Warren County than in Washington. The area's demographic profile is not all that diverse: the proportion of Blacks, Hispanics and Asians are all well below the national and statewide averages.

Most of the metro area's relatively small industry base in Warren County, whereas Washington is primarily residential, with some farming. The primary manufacturing industries in and around Glens Falls are surgical and medical instruments and paper (based on its proximity to the Adirondack forest). In addition, tourism accounts for a large part of business-accommodation, food services, arts and recreation together account for nearly 15 percent of jobs, with contracted employment services adding another 10 percent.

After lagging the U.S. in job growth during the late 1990s, the Glens Falls area kept pace with the nation in 2001 and 2002 and was a top performer in the region in 2003 and 2004, averaging roughly 3 percent. In 2005 and 2006, employment has grown at a slower, but still decent rate of about 1 percent.

The area’s housing market has also been robust, as in Albany: the median selling price for existing homes rose at a roughly 14 percent annual rate in 2004 and at an even stronger pace in 2005 and the first half of 2006. As of mid-2006, the median price was reported to be slightly over $185,000 in Warren County, and $106,000 in Washington.