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Living in
Ithaca.
About
Life in Ithaca
Living in Ithaca means embracing a college town where two major universities shape everything from the job market to weekend life—Cornell and Ithaca College drive the economy and keep the median age at just 23. The job market is solid with a 3.9% unemployment rate, and many positions are education or research-focused, though if you're not affiliated with the universities you'll want to explore tech and agriculture sectors. Rent averages $1,441 a month and median home prices hover around $342,700, which is reasonable for a college town but worth budgeting for carefully.
Ithaca at a Glance
Population, income, housing and more
Median Age
23.3 yrs
Poverty Rate
30.4%
Foreign-Born
20.0%
Broadband Internet
88.0%
of households
Population Growth
+4.8%
recent change · Census Bureau
Median household income
Demographics20.0% foreign-born, most often from China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
Who lives in Ithaca: race and ethnicity, ages, households, languages and countries of origin
In Ithaca, the largest foreign-born group is from China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan (17.9%), and 6.1% of residents speak Spanish at home.
Under 18
7.1%
of residents
65 and Older
10.1%
of residents
Households with Kids
11.5%
anyone under 18
Living Alone
44.5%
of households
Married Couples
23.0%
of households
Avg Household Size
1.71
people
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino of any race; other groups are non-Hispanic
Top countries of origin (foreign-born)
Languages Spoken at Home
Cost of Livingrent 11% below NY average
Rent, home values, and income in Ithaca
In Ithaca, rent runs 11% below the NY average, and home values are 19% below the NY average.
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
Rent Burdened
56.7%
spending 30%+ of income on rent
Severely Rent Burdened
36.0%
spending 50%+
Cost of Living Index
103.3
metro area (BEA) · US avg = 100
Median Property Tax
$8,897
per year, owner-occupied homes
Homeowners
29.6%
of occupied homes are owned
Typical Home Built
1956
median year built
Vacant Homes
12.5%
of housing units
Jobs & Economyunemployment 0.4 pts below NY average
Unemployment in Ithaca
Unemployment in Ithaca is 0.4 percentage points lower than the NY average.
Unemployment rate
City-level rate · BLS annual average
Unemployment Rate — 10 Year Trend
City-level (BLS) · Annual averages
What Ithaca Residents Do for Work · share of employed residents by industry
City residents, wherever they work
Commute18.7 min avg
How Ithaca residents get to work, and the nearest airports
In Ithaca, most residents drive alone to work (30%), and 82% get there in under 30 minutes.
How People Get to Work
Commute Time Distribution
Nearest airports · with airline service
- 6 mi
Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport (ITH)
Regional airport · few flights68k passengers boarded in 2025
- 116 mi
Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF)
Medium hub2.5M passengers boarded in 2025
Straight-line distance. Size is the FAA’s hub category, based on passenger traffic: regional airports may have only a few flights a day.
Safetyviolent crime 48% below national average
Crime rates for 2025
Violent crime in Ithaca runs 48% below the national average.
Violent Crime Rate
169.8
per 100,000 residents
Below average (329 national, 2025)
Property Crime Rate
2,872
per 100,000 residents
Above average (1,552 national, 2025)
Ithaca Police Department
Natural DisastersThunderstorm Wind most common — 10 events in 2025
Natural hazard risk, storms and earthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index
Relatively Low
73.9 / 100
Compares expected losses from natural hazards, social vulnerability and community resilience against every US county (higher = more risk).
Tompkins County, county-wide · FEMA NRI December 2025
In Tompkins County, which includes Ithaca, the most common type is thunderstorm wind, with 10 recorded events in 2025.
Most common events:
Storm events by year
| Year | Events | Top Type | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 10 | Thunderstorm Wind | $78,500 |
| 2024 | 9 | Thunderstorm Wind | $36,500 |
| 2023 | 8 | Thunderstorm Wind | $122,000 |
| 2022 | 10 | Heavy Snow | $80,500 |
| 2021 | 15 | Thunderstorm Wind | $135,500 |
| 2020 | 9 | Thunderstorm Wind | $52,000 |
| 2019 | 10 | Thunderstorm Wind | $150,000 |
| 2018 | 6 | Heavy Snow | $75,000 |
Property damage is the National Weather Service's estimate filed with each event. “None reported” means the events were logged with $0 damage; “Not estimated” means no estimate was filed. Storms covering several counties aren't counted here, since NOAA doesn't split their damage by county.
1 earthquake of magnitude 2.5+ within 100 miles in the past year
Tompkins County, county-wide
Air Quality35 median AQI — Good
Days by air quality category (2025)
Air quality in Tompkins County, which includes Ithaca, is typically good — 331 good-air days per year.
Median AQI
35
Good Days
331
per year
Moderate Days
24
per year
Unhealthy Days
0
per year
Tompkins County, county-wide
Climate78°F summers, 17°F winters
30-year climate averages (1991–2020) — monthly temperatures and precipitation
Ithaca has mild summers (avg high 78°F) and very cold winters (avg low 17°F).
Spring (Mar–May)
54°/33°F
avg high / low
Summer (Jun–Aug)
78°/56°F
avg high / low
Fall (Sep–Nov)
59°/39°F
avg high / low
Winter (Dec–Feb)
33°/17°F
avg high / low
Annual Precipitation
38.3"
Annual Snowfall
62.9"
Hot Days/Year
5
days above 90°F
Freeze Days/Year
148
days below 32°F
Rainy Days/Year
166
Average month
Show month-by-month table ↓Hide table ↑
| Month | High | Low | Precip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°F | 15°F | 2.24" |
| Feb | 33°F | 15°F | 1.98" |
| Mar | 41°F | 22°F | 2.78" |
| Apr | 55°F | 33°F | 3.40" |
| May | 67°F | 44°F | 3.20" |
| Jun | 76°F | 53°F | 3.98" |
| Jul | 80°F | 58°F | 3.90" |
| Aug | 79°F | 56°F | 3.77" |
| Sep | 72°F | 49°F | 3.83" |
| Oct | 59°F | 39°F | 3.70" |
| Nov | 47°F | 30°F | 2.94" |
| Dec | 36°F | 22°F | 2.57" |
Healthcare1 hospital, avg 3.0/5
Hospitals, ratings, and health insurance in Ithaca
Ithaca has 1 hospital, averaging 3.0 out of 5 on CMS's quality rating.
Hospitals
1
within city limits
Uninsured
5.1%
of residents
Avg Hospital Rating
3.0 / 5
Cayuga Medical Center at Ithaca
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available
Adult Health · vs. the typical US place
Share of adults. Modeled estimates, not counted cases. “US” = the typical US place.
Medicare-certified hospitals only. Doesn’t include clinics, urgent care, or freestanding ERs.
Education10.7:1 student/teacher ratio
Schools and degree attainment in Ithaca
Ithaca's student/teacher ratio is 10.7:1 (lower than the national average of 16:1), and 67.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Public Schools
7
within city limits
Private Schools
1
within city limits
College Degree Rate
67.7%
adults 25+ with bachelor's or higher
Student/Teacher Ratio
10.7:1
National avg 16:1
Schools located within city limits (2023) — school-level metrics change slowly year to year
Colleges & Universities in Ithaca
Private nonprofit · 4-year · 15,995 students · in-state tuition $72,270 · 96% graduate · median earnings $113,531 (10 yrs after entry)
Degree-granting colleges with 100+ students, placed by campus location (main campuses only — branch campuses are reported under their parent school)
Parks & Recreationclosest: Harriet Tubman National Historical Park, 33 mi
Nearby national parks, recreation areas and public libraries for Ithaca
Ithaca has 5 nearby national parks or recreation areas, closest being Harriet Tubman National Historical Park (33 mi away).
Nearby National Parks & Recreation Areas
Harriet Tubman National Historical Park
National Historical Park
33 mi awayWomen's Rights National Historical Park
National Historical Park
36 mi awayFort Stanwix National Monument
National Monument
75 mi awaySteamtown National Historic Site
National Historic Site
83 mi awayUpper Delaware Scenic & Recreational River
Scenic & Recreational River
93 mi awayPublic Libraries in Ithaca
Tompkins County Public Library
101 East Green Street, Ithaca
Cities Near Ithaca
The closest cities within 60 miles
Planning a move to Ithaca?
Read our full moving guide — what it's really like to live here.
Ithaca FAQ
Is Ithaca, New York affordable?⌄
Ithaca's median rent is $1,447/month, which is close to the national average. The median household income is $48,784/year. Median home value is $342,700.
Is Ithaca, New York safe?⌄
Ithaca's violent crime rate was 170 per 100,000 residents in 2025, which is well below the national average — one of the safer cities in the country of 329/100k that year. Property crime rate is 2872 per 100,000. As with any city, crime rates vary by neighborhood.
What is the job market like in Ithaca, New York?⌄
Ithaca has an unemployment rate of 3.9%, which is close to the national average of 4.3%.
What is the cost of living in Ithaca, New York?⌄
The cost of living in Ithaca is primarily driven by housing. Median rent is $1,447/month and median household income is $48,784/year. The median home value is $342,700. About 57% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.
How is the commute in Ithaca, New York?⌄
The average commute in Ithaca is 19 minutes, which is shorter than average compared to the national average of 26 minutes.
Data from the US Census Bureau, BLS, FBI, NOAA, EPA, Zillow Research and other public sources. Where our data comes from