Capital District Regional Planning Commission

The Capital District Regional Planning Commission (CDRPC) last prepared population and household projections in 1992 for each of the minor civil divisions in Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga, and Schenectady counties. The current (1997) revision was coordinated through the New York State Association of Regional Councils (NYSARC) as part of a Statewide effort to prepare an official set of population projections for each of New York State's counties, with funding from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration.

The population in the Capital District is projected to increase by 97,331 persons or 12.5% between 1990 and 2030. Saratoga County is projected to experience the greatest amount and rate of growth, rising from 181,276 persons in 1990 to 234,085 persons in 2030, a 29.1% increase. Albany County's population is projected to increase by 26,432 persons or 9.0%, followed by an 8.9% increase for Rensselaer County, and a 2.9% increase for Schenectady County.

The most significant population growth in the Region is expected to occur in suburban and rural communities, while population in many of the cities and villages is projected to remain the same or slightly decline. The communities expected to experience the largest net increase in population between 1990 and 2030 include Clifton Park, up 12,862 or 42.7%; Guilderland, up 8,211 or 27.4%; Colonie, up 7,788 or 10.2%; Bethlehem, up 6,805 or 24.7%; and Halfmoon, up 6,618 or 47.7%.

The number of households in the Region is projected to increase by 72,546 or 24.2% between 1990 and 2030. As was the case for the population projections, Saratoga County is projected to experience the greatest amount and rate of household growth, rising from 66,425 households in 1990 to 93,180 in 2030. Albany County households are projected to increase by 21,148 or 18.2%, followed by a 17.9% increase for Rensselaer County, and a 12.3% increase for Schenectady County.

Similar to projected population growth, the most significant household growth is expected to occur in the Region's suburban and rural areas. However, despite stable or declining projected populations, most of the Region's cities and villages are also projected to show increases in their total numbers of households over the next thirty years. The projected decline in average household size is the reason for the difference in household growth versus population growth. As the populations ages, there will be more households, but each household will be smaller, with fewer children on average.

For detailed information, call Chungchin Chen or Rocky Ferraro at 518-393-1715.

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