Rensselaer is a city in Rensselaer County, New York, home to about 9,287 people across 3.2 square miles. Its ZIP code is 12144.
Homes sold for a median of $213 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
Mostly Rensselaer; also East Greenbush and North Greenbush
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Rensselaer. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Rensselaer’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Albany International Airport (ALB)9 miles away |
|---|---|
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Newark, NJ134 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | New York, NY137 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Rensselaer; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Rensselaer had 9,210 residents in the 2020 census, up 19% since 2000.
It’s the 221st largest of 1,007 towns in New York by population.
Rensselaer County grew from 121,697 residents in 1900 to 161,130 in 2020.
Rensselaer County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 86°F in summer, and winter lows average 17°F. About 42 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Troy L&D, NY weather station (8 miles away).
46,817 jobs at 2,985 businesses in Rensselaer County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
123 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Rensselaer.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 18 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 2 |
| Dentists | 7 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 38 |
| Mental health providers | 36 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 16 |
| Optometrists | 2 |
| Chiropractors | 4 |
| Pharmacies | 5 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (14 nearby)
Grocery stores (1 nearby)
Pharmacies (1 nearby)
Libraries (1 nearby)
Museums (1 nearby)
Theaters and performance venues
Counts are within about 1.5 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Established in 1630.
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by East Greenbush Central School District, Rensselaer City School District, Nurses Middle College Charter High School-Capital Region. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Mill SchoolRensselaer | Pre-K–5 | 473 | Public | 1.0 mi |
| Van Rensselaer Elementary SchoolRensselaer | Pre-K–5 | 487 | Public | 1.3 mi |
| Rensselaer Junior/Senior High SchoolRensselaer | 6–12 | 462 | Public | 1.3 mi |
| Nurses Middle College Charter High School-Capital RegionRensselaer | 9–10 | 83 | Charter | 1.6 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doane Stuart SchoolRensselaer | Pre-K–12 | 89 | Nonsectarian | 1.6 mi |
| Woodland Hill Montessori SchoolRensselaer | Pre-K–8 | 243 | Nonsectarian | 1.6 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with East Greenbush and North Greenbush.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.