Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety93#70/924
Economy54#429/925
Housing2#907/925
Health99#6/925
Healthcare94#57/923
Environment91#80/917
Education99#7/925
Infrastructure97#27/925
Community72#264/925
Leisure & amenities87#120/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Ithaca, NY metro area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Bachelor's degree or higher · high58.8%
100/100New York 40.2%United States 35.7%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Some college · high84.2%
99/100New York 71.0%United States 67.8%2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Public transit commuters · high4.6%
99/100New York 21.6%United States 3.2%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08301
Public EV charging ports · high25.3 /10k
98/100New York 10.8 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyAggregated from counties
Poor or fair health · low14.0%
98/100New York 16.8%United States 19.9%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Traffic deaths · low6.3 /100k
97/100New York 5.6 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Effective property tax rate · high2.11%
1/100New York 1.30%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Child care cost burden · high44.3%
2/100New York 37.7%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Rent-burdened households · high58.6%
4/100New York 52.1%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Comfortable days · low22.3%
4/100New York 22.7%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties
Rent as share of income · high34.5%
4/100New York 31.2%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
New business applications · low7.5 /1k
5/100New York 15.1 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Cost of buying a home todayWorsening
30.0% (Dec 2021) → 43.9% (Aug 2026)
+14 pts5 yearsUS 26.4% → 34.1%
Child care cost burdenWorsening
31.5% (2020 & 2021) → 44.3% (2023 & 2024)
+13 pts3 yearsUS 24.5% → 27.9%
Access to exercise opportunitiesImproving
76.9% (2010 & 2021) → 89.1% (2022 & 2024)
+12 pts3 yearsUS 79.8% → 84.5%
Drug overdose deathsImproving
19.8 /100k (2021) → 10.2 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−48%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
Preventable hospital staysImproving
2,649 /100k (2019) → 1,615 /100k (2023)
−39%4 yearsUS 3,767 /100k → 2,769 /100k
Violent crime rateImproving
162 /100k (2020) → 100 /100k (2025)
−38%5 yearsUS 389 /100k → 328 /100k

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Ithaca, NY metro area improved on 16 of 32 measures with a comparison and declined on 7. 6 moved within the margin of error and 3 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved16

Bachelor's++5.2 points53.5% → 58.8%
Traffic deaths−21%8.0 /100k → 6.3 /100k
Violent crime−38%162 /100k → 100 /100k
Poverty−2.5 points18.9% → 16.4%
Overdose deaths−43%18.0 /100k → 10.2 /100k

Declined7

Transit use−2 points6.7% → 4.6%
Restaurants−11%10.8 /10k → 9.6 /10k
Uninsured+1.2 points3.9% → 5.1%
Suicides+18%10.0 /100k → 11.8 /100k
Pharmacies−18%1.5 /10k → 1.2 /10k

All 32 measures

Change of every measure of Ithaca, NY metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	5.4 /10k2020	5.8 /10k2025	+6.7%	Improved	45%
Average commute time	19.4 min2015-2019	20.1 min2020-2024	+0.7 min	Within the margin of error	40%
Average weekly wage	$1,1452020	$1,3882025	+21%	Improved	32%
Bachelor's degree or higher	53.5%2015-2019	58.8%2020-2024	+5.2 points	Improved	93%
Broadband subscriptions	85.3%2015-2019	90.6%2020-2024	+5.4 points	Improved	10%
Child poverty rate	13.9%2015-2019	11.0%2020-2024	−2.9 points	Improved	56%
Distance to an airport	49 mi2020	49 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	18.0 /100k2020	10.2 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−43%	Improved	72%
Effective property tax rate	2.32%2015-2019	2.11%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	75%
Firearm deaths	6.0 /100k2020	6.5 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+8.3%	Declined	36%
Grocery stores	1.9 /10k2020	1.8 /10k2025	−3.7%	Little change	37%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.4 /10k2020	1.6 /10k2025	+15%	Improved	64%
High school diploma or higher	94.4%2015-2019	95.6%2020-2024	+1.1 points	Within the margin of error	33%
Home price to income ratio	3.4×2015-2019	3.9×2020-2024	+0.5×	Declined	40%
Homicide rate	2.3 /100k2020	1.9 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−17%	Improved	40%
Income adjusted for local prices	$43,0982019	$54,6762024	+27%	Improved	15%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4962015-2019	0.4832020-2024	−0.013	Within the margin of error	82%
Median household income	$60,2402015-2019	$74,0242020-2024	+23%	Improved	28%
New business applications	5.9 /1k2020	7.5 /1k2025	+28%	Improved	25%
Pharmacies	1.5 /10k2020	1.2 /10k2025	−18%	Declined	26%
Poverty rate	18.9%2015-2019	16.4%2020-2024	−2.5 points	Improved	81%
Property crime rate	1,913 /100k2020	1,452 /100k2025	−24%	Improved	31%
Public libraries	0.6 /10k2019	0.6 /10k2024	−2.3%	Little change	44%
Public transit commuters	6.7%2015-2019	4.6%2020-2024	−2 points	Declined	6%
Rent as share of income	36.5%2015-2019	34.5%2020-2024	−2 points	Within the margin of error	87%
Rent-burdened households	60.6%2015-2019	58.6%2020-2024	−2 points	Within the margin of error	74%
Restaurants and bars	10.8 /10k2020	9.6 /10k2025	−11%	Declined	10%
Suicide rate	10.0 /100k2020	11.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+18%	Declined	27%
Traffic deaths	8.0 /100k2015-2019	6.3 /100k2020-2024	−21%	Improved	89%
Unemployment rate	5.7%2020	3.5%2025	−2.2 points	Improved	28%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	3.9%2015-2019	5.1%2020-2024	+1.2 points	Declined	17%
Violent crime rate	162 /100k2020	100 /100k2025	−38%	Improved	86%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like Ithaca, NY metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Ithaca, NY metro area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Ithaca, NY metro area itself moved −0.6 points in standing on average over the same 30 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

104,537 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69
50–59
40–49
30–39
20–29
10–19
Under 10

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 10–19 women (+1.2 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

104,537 residents

Ithaca, NY metro area
United States share

White74%77,012
Black3.6%3,804
Hispanic or Latino6.6%6,886

Education

61,195 residents (±308)

Ithaca, NY metro area
United States share

No high school diploma4.4%2,722
High school or GED17%10,188
Some college13%7,730

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

43,263 households (±611)

Ithaca, NY metro area
United States share

Under $25k17%7,289
$25k–50k19%8,259
$50k–75k14%6,258
$75k–100k12%5,273
$100k–150k16%6,939
$150k–200k9.5%4,109
$200k or more12%5,136

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Under $25k (−5.4 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

43,263 households (±611)

Ithaca, NY metro area
United States share

Own54%23,422
Rent46%19,841

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

19,206 households (±820)

Ithaca, NY metro area
United States share

Under $7508.6%1,646
$750–1,00014%2,721
$1,000–1,50033%6,398

Home values

23,422 homes (±635)

Ithaca, NY metro area
United States share

Under $150k17%3,980
$150k–250k25%5,739
$250k–400k32%7,572
$400k–750k

Age of homes

47,804 homes (±131)

Ithaca, NY metro area
United States share

2010 or later9.4%4,516
2000–20097.9%3,761
1980–199925%12,100

Size of homes

47,804 homes (±131)

Ithaca, NY metro area
United States share

Studio4.8%2,295
1 bedroom15%7,202
2 bedrooms25%11,851
3 bedrooms

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

49,438 workers (±1,181)

Ithaca, NY metro area
United States share

Drive alone52%25,562
Carpool9.3%4,602
Public transit4.6%2,296
Walk11%5,637
Bike1.8%†882
Work from home20%9,886
Other1.2%†573

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Work from home (+12.7 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

39,552 workers (±1,335)

Ithaca, NY metro area
United States share

Under 15 min36%14,341
15–29 min46%18,191
30–44 min11%4,434

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The 10 largest occupations in Ithaca, NY employ 9,080 people. 8 pay a median above the US median and 2 below it.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in Ithaca, NY by employment, with median annual pay and how it compares with the United States
Occupation	Jobs	Median pay	vs USCompared with the US	Concentration
Retail Salespersons1,170 jobs	1,170	$35,510US $35,410	0%	0.97×
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary1,140 jobs	1,140	$159,720US $107,310	+49%	17×
Registered Nurses940 jobs	940	$100,320US $97,550	+3%	0.9×
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive900 jobs	900	$47,990US $47,540	+1%	1.7×
Fast Food and Counter Workers870 jobs	870	$34,800US $31,200	+12%	0.73×
Office Clerks, General860 jobs	860	$37,380US $45,010	−17%	1.14×
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners840 jobs	840	$38,060US $36,840	+3%	1.23×
Cashiers810 jobs	810	$35,470US $32,880	+8%	0.85×
Home Health and Personal Care Aides780 jobs	780	$39,220US $35,800	+10%	0.59×
General and Operations Managers770 jobs	770	$103,220US $105,770	−2%	0.71×

Look up any occupation

Search more than 800 occupations and see what they pay in Ithaca, NY.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025-05 (all industries and ownerships) bls.gov/oes

Reference period: 2025-05. BLS publishes metro areas, states and the nation (not counties or cities), so a county or city page shows its metro area.
Pay is not adjusted for the cost of living, so a higher median does not mean more purchasing power.
BLS caps the highest wages it publishes: where a figure is shown as “or more”, the real value is at least that much.
Some occupations (teachers, performers) are published by the hour or school year and shown here as an annual figure.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Ithaca, NY has 2,230 employer establishments, 213 for every 10,000 residents (0.86× the US rate of 248), with 50,869 paid employees at an average annual pay of $51,629. The Census Bureau also counts 8,145 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 2,230; 8,145 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 213; US 248
Paid employees: 50,869
Average annual pay: $51,629; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Ithaca, NY by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Restaurants and other eating places	192	18.4	1.00×About typical	3,000	$25,198	21
Ambulatory health care services	188	18	0.86×About typical	2,097	$78,237	548
Lessors of real estate	122	11.7	0.95×About typical	637	$50,024	795
Specialty trade contractors	99	9.5	0.61×Fewer than typical	634	$67,756	313
Full-service restaurants	90	8.6	1.12×About typical	1,586	$26,330	10
Offices of physicians	68	6.5	1.01×About typical	817	$111,984	97
Limited-service restaurants	64	6.1	0.76×Fewer than typical	869	$21,104	9
Religious organizations	62	5.9	1.07×About typical	357	$24,779	—
Construction of buildings	61	5.8	0.77×Fewer than typical	285	$54,481	170
Services to buildings and dwellings	61	5.8	0.87×About typical	310	$38,019	285
Offices of other health practitioners	57	5.5	0.90×About typical	259	$53,100	368
Schools, colleges and instruction	51	4.9	1.39×More than typical	22,515	$46,124	618

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 104,453 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $16.5M on contracts performed in Ithaca, NY metro area: $158 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $16.5M; −8.5% vs FY2025
Per resident: $158; US $1,994
Sole-source: 27%; US 30%
Single offer: 5.3%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Department of the Navy$3.9M24%
Departmental Offices$2.5M

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $767.3M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Ithaca, NY metro area: $7,375 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $767.3M; −7.6% vs FY2025
Per resident: $7,375; US $12,955
Loan face value: $7.2M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.1%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$376.1M49%
93.859 · Biomedical Research and Research Training$31.2M4.1%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$31M4.0%
47.049 · Mathematical and Physical Sciences$25.6M3.3%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$24.2M3.2%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$22.9M3.0%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$19.9M2.6%
14.871 · Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers$12.7M1.7%

Top recipients (organizations)

CORNELL UNIVERSITY$203.2M26%
ITHACA, NY
CORNELL UNIVERSITY$25.5M3.3%
ITHACA, NY
ITHACA HOUSING AUTHORITY$14.4M1.9%
ITHACA, NY
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION NEW YORK$9.8M1.3%
ALBANY, NY
COUNTY OF TOMPKINS$9.1M

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$441.5M58%
National Institutes of Health$82.8M11%
Department of Health and Human Services
National Science Foundation$61.8M8.0%
National Institute of Food and Agriculture$37M4.8%
Department of Agriculture
Department of Education$31.5M4.1%

Assistance by fiscal year

855.8MFY2021
751MFY2022
782.2MFY2023
826.9MFY2024
830.5MFY2025
767.3MFY2026

County aggregates

61%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Ithaca, NY

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Tompkins CountyCentral county84104,047

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

IthacaPrincipal city32,814

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in New York

Areas based in New York, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/M27060

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved16

Declined7

Metro and micro areas like Ithaca, NY metro area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Getting to work

How people get to work

Time to get to work

Jobs and pay

Look up any occupation

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Ithaca, NY

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in New York

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved16

Declined7

Household income

Age and sex

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Owners and renters

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

How people get to work

Time to get to work

Look up any occupation

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Top buying agencies

By type

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

What was bought

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards