County outline
Where Chenango County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 99.4% of Chenango County’s measured area and water for 0.6%. Its combined area converts to 2,327.4 square kilometers or approximately 575,123 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 893.443 | 2,314.007 | 571,803.5 |
| Water | 5.187 | 13.434 | 3,319.7 |
| Total | 898.63 | 2,327.441 | 575,123.2 |
How Chenango County compares
By original Census land area, Chenango County ranks #21 of 62 in New York and #880 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 1.367 times the New York county-equivalent median of 653.7 square miles. It accounts for 1.9% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete New York ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of Chenango County
The Census Bureau estimates that 45,715 people lived in Chenango County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #1,099 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #52 of 62 in New York. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 47,229, the population has declined by 1,514 (−3.2%), compared with −1% for New York as a whole.
With 893.4 square miles of land, that is 51 people per square mile (20 per km²), placing Chenango County #1,523 nationally for density and #53 in New York. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the New York median is 112. Put another way, there are about 13 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 47,071 | 46,604 | 46,334 | 45,904 | 45,793 | 45,715 |
| Change | — | −467 | −270 | −430 | −111 | −78 |
U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates. Estimates are revised each year and are not decennial census counts. Density divides the whole population by the whole county’s land area, so it describes an average, not how settlement is distributed within the county. Population sources and methods.
Cities and towns in Chenango County
Chenango County is divided into 22 cities and towns. In New York, county subdivisions are local governments, and together they cover all of the county’s land and residents.
The most populous is Norwich city, with 6,538 residents (14.3% of the county). The largest by land is Greene town, at 75.1 mi², or 8.4% of the county’s land.
| County subdivision | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norwich cityCounty seat | 6,538 | −7.2% | 2.124 | 0.2% |
| Greene town | 5,021 | −5.5% | 75.1 | 8.4% |
| Sherburne town | 3,857 | −2.3% | 43.6 | 4.9% |
| Oxford town | 3,562 | −2% | 60.1 | 6.7% |
| Norwich townCounty seat | 3,499 | −2.4% | 42 | 4.7% |
| Bainbridge town | 2,995 | −2% | 34.3 | 3.8% |
| Afton town | 2,719 | −2% | 46.1 | 5.2% |
| Guilford town | 2,674 | −1.9% | 61.7 | 6.9% |
| New Berlin town | 2,482 | −1.7% | 46.1 | 5.2% |
| North Norwich town | 1,645 | −2.1% | 28.1 | 3.1% |
| Plymouth town | 1,588 | −2.2% | 42.2 | 4.7% |
| Coventry town | 1,484 | −2% | 48.5 | 5.4% |
| Smithville town | 1,229 | −1.6% | 50.4 | 5.6% |
| Smyrna town | 1,216 | −1.7% | 42.1 | 4.7% |
| Columbus town | 889 | −2.1% | 37.4 | 4.2% |
Show the other 7 subdivisions
| Name | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preston town | 881 | −1.8% | 34.7 |
| Otselic town | 835 | −2.2% | 38 |
| McDonough town | 788 | −1.9% | 39 |
| Pitcher town | 654 | −2.1% | 28.5 |
| Pharsalia town | 504 | −1.9% | 38.8 |
| Lincklaen town | 352 | −2.2% | 26.3 |
| German town | 303 | −1.6% | 28.4 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each subdivision inside Chenango County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
Chenango County is not part of any metropolitan or micropolitan statistical area in the Office of Management and Budget’s July 2023 delineation; 1,306 other county equivalents are also outside one. These areas are built around an urban core of at least 10,000 people plus the counties tied to it by commuting, so counties outside them are generally rural.
ZIP codes
27 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Chenango County; 16 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
130401305213072131241313613155133321341113460134641348513730137331374613778137801378713801138091381313814138151383013832138411384313844
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are the Census Bureau’s approximations of USPS ZIP Code service areas, from the 2020 Census relationship files. Lighter codes have less than half of their land in this county. Post-office-box and single-address ZIP Codes have no tabulation area.
Counties bordering Chenango County
Chenango County shares a land border with 5 county equivalents. It has more land than 3 of them. The largest neighbor is Delaware County (1,442.6 mi²) and the smallest is Cortland County (498.8 mi²). Together with its neighbors, Chenango County forms a block of 5,197.1 mi² of land, of which it holds 17.2%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. Chenango | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware County | 1,442.6 | 1.6× larger | Compare |
| Otsego County | 1,001.7 | 1.1× larger | Compare |
| Broome County | 705.7 | 1.3× smaller | Compare |
| Madison County | 654.9 | 1.4× smaller | Compare |
| Cortland County | 498.8 | 1.8× smaller | Compare |
How big is Chenango County compared with U.S. states?
Chenango County has less land than any of the 50 states. Rhode Island, the smallest state by land area, has 1,033.9 mi², about 1.2 times as much. New York’s county land could hold about 53 areas the size of Chenango County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 29.9 miles (48.1 km) on each side. Real county shapes are rarely square, so this is a scale reference rather than a width or driving distance.
State figures are the sums of each state’s county-equivalent land measurements in the same Census release, so states and counties are compared on the same basis. Published state totals can differ slightly because of rounding. Compare all states · Counties bigger than entire states.
What stands out about Chenango County?
Chenango County has more land than 2,342 of the other 3,221 county equivalents in the dataset.
A median is the middle county-equivalent measurement, not the average of the largest and smallest. All three bars use the same linear scale. Very small areas may appear as a thin sliver; the labels retain their values.
Does including water change its rank?
Using land plus water places Chenango County at #985 nationally by total area, 105 places farther from the top than its land rank. Other county equivalents gain more area when their water measurements are included.
Its water share is 0.6%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 0.6 percentage points lower. This describes the statistical geography’s land/water mix, not flood exposure or developable land.
Closest positions in the national land ranking
These entries sit immediately beside Chenango County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #879 | Decatur County, Kansas | 893.5 | Compare |
| #880 | Chenango County, New York | 893.4 | This county |
| #881 | Garza County, Texas | 893.4 | Compare |
Calculated from the same Census release as the area table. Total-area order uses original ALAND + AWATER; water shares and chart labels use published square miles. Calculation details.
Representative coordinates
The Census internal point is 42.478024, -75.602241. It represents a location inside the geography; it is not necessarily the centroid or the address of a courthouse.
Source and precision
U.S. Census Bureau, 2026 Gazetteer Files, Counties. Original ALAND: 2,314,006,867 m²; AWATER: 13,433,903 m². Rankings use ALAND; exact ties use ascending GEOID. Tables preserve Census-published square miles to three decimals, with conversions based on those values.
Common questions
How big is Chenango County?
Chenango County, New York has 893.4 square miles (2,314 km²) of land and 5.187 square miles of water, for a total area of 898.6 square miles. It ranks #880 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is Chenango County the largest county in New York?
No. Chenango County ranks #21 of 62 in New York by land area. The largest is St. Lawrence County, with 2,679.5 square miles of land.
What counties border Chenango County?
Chenango County shares a land border with Broome County, Otsego County, Madison County, Cortland County, and Delaware County.
What is the population of Chenango County?
The Census Bureau estimates Chenango County had 45,715 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #1,099 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 51 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of Chenango County?
The county seat of Chenango County is Norwich.
What cities and towns are in Chenango County?
Chenango County has 22 county subdivisions (cities, towns and townships). The most populous five are Norwich city, Greene town, Sherburne town, Oxford town, and Norwich town.
Is Chenango County part of a metropolitan area?
No. Chenango County is outside every metropolitan and micropolitan statistical area in the July 2023 OMB delineation.
How many ZIP codes are in Chenango County?
27 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Chenango County, and 16 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does Chenango County compare with U.S. states?
It has less land than every state. Rhode Island, the smallest, has 1.2 times as much land.
How many acres of land are in Chenango County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 571,804 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 575,123 acres. One square mile equals 640 acres.
Why might another source show a different area?
Check whether it reports land or total area, its Census vintage, and its rounding. Our guide explains how to reconcile county area figures.
Can this establish a property boundary?
No. Statistical measurements and generalized maps do not establish property lines. Consult the relevant local surveying or land-records authority.