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Rensselaer

A city of 9,287 people in New York
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Outdoors in Rensselaer

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About Rensselaer

City in Rensselaer County, New York, US
1630Established
9,210Population
3.5 sq miArea
16 ftElevation

Rensselaer () is a city in Rensselaer County, New York, United States, and is located on the east side of the Hudson River, opposite Albany and on the western border of Rensselaer County. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 9,210. The area now known as the City of Rensselaer was settled by the Dutch in the 17th century, who called it t'Greyn Bos, which became Greenbush in English. Rensselaer was an early center of the U.S. dye industry in the United States and home to the country's first aspirin factory. The city became a railroad hub in the 19th century; in 2020, Albany-Rensselaer was the ninth-busiest Amtrak station in the country and the second-busiest in New York State.

Official town website ↗

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Living in Rensselaer

Housing in Rensselaer

$317K▲ 3.8% in a year Typical home value · Zillow

The typical Rensselaer home is worth about $317,000, up 3.8% in a year, 40% below the New York typical home.

Only 3 sales in May 2026, too few for a market read. The typical value is the steadier guide.

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety in Rensselaer

B

Safety Grade B

Rensselaer reports less crime per resident than 56% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade.

Violent crime per 1,000
Rensselaer 1.7
New York 3.7
U.S. 3.3
Property crime per 1,000
Rensselaer 8.5
New York 15.7
U.S. 15.5
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Schools in Rensselaer

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D

School Grade D

The public schools Rensselaer’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 89% of New York’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.

See how Rensselaer’s schools compare in NY →
DistrictRENSSELAER CITY SCHOOL DISTRICTSchools4

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within NY. Ratings are from neighbors.

Famous people from RensselaerWriters, athletes, leaders and more who were born in Rensselaer.Meet them →

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Rensselaer

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