City profile · New York · Census ACS 2023

Ithaca, NY

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Ithaca - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

31,792
Residents
$48,617
Median income
$330,100
Median home
$1,753
Median rent (state)

Ithaca - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Ithaca lands in the 17th percentile for household income and the 11th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

17th
percentile, household income
69th
percentile, home value
71st
percentile, median rent
11th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Ithaca, NY

New York's Ithaca is a small city, with 31,792 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Ithaca households earn a median of $48,617 annually, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 9.1%. Typical homes in Ithaca are valued around $330,100, and the median resident age is 23.6 years. Educational attainment runs 70.2% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 50.0% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 117 residential building permits were authorized in Ithaca (Construction Slowdown), down 72% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Ithaca's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 3412.0 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, above the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). NOAA puts Ithaca's yearly average temperature at 45.2°F with 41.7 inches of precipitation per year.

New York carries a cost-of-living premium: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, New York scores 107.9 (Above Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,753 per month statewide. Monthly utility costs average around $285 across New York, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 73.9 out of 100 (High).

Population

31,792 residents

Census ACS 2023 - New York

Median Household Income

$48,617 /yr

Poverty 9.1%

Cost of Living Index (state)

107.9 (US=100)

Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, New York average

How does Ithaca compare to other US cities?

Here's how Ithaca stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 17% higher than other cities
Home value 69% pricier than other cities
Median rent 71% pricier than other cities
Safety 11% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at New York, Ithaca ranks #43 of 55 New York cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Ithaca's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in New York, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

17thIncome percentile
11thSafety percentile

17th percentile nationally for median household income · 11th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Ithaca's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Ithaca's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 19 Avg. percentile National median
Ithaca's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Ithaca's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$330,100 31st percentile more affordable than 31% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). This entry sits in this band. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Ithaca $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Ithaca, NY Ithaca, NY's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Ithaca, NY-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Ithaca, NY median $48,617/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Ithaca, NY's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Ithaca, NY. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 70.2%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 9.1%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 50.0%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
31,792
Median Income
$48,617
Median Home Value
$330,100
Median Age
23.6
Poverty Rate
9.1%
Labor force participation
50.0%
Bachelor's Degree+
70.2%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
3412.0
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
196.2
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
3215.8
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Climate

Avg Temperature
45.2°F
Annual Precipitation
41.7"
Annual Snowfall
N/A

Schools

Total Schools
13
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
30,000 residents31,000 residents32,000 residents33,000 residents34,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 32,102 residents 33,632 residents ▲ +4.8%
Ithaca's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
117
housing units authorized
Single-Family
54
detached homes
Multifamily
63
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
3.7
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 424
2020 56
2021 464
2022 141
2023 119
2024 117

Permit volume decreased 72% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
28.9%
Carpool
6.2%
Public Transit
11.0%
Walk
23.7%
Work from Home
26.2%
Other
4.0%

Based on 14,451 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for New York - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$130
avg/month
Natural Gas
$90
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$65
avg/month
Total Utilities
$285
estimated/month

Estimates reflect New York state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a New York state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Ithaca sits in

Cost of Living Index
107.9
Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,753/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
73.9 / 100
High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in New York

Rome
31,795 people
Poughkeepsie
31,778 people
Oceanside
31,907 people
Centereach
31,501 people
Bay Shore
31,275 people
Port Chester
31,162 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Ithaca's 31,792 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Seguin, TX
31,789 people
Sun City Center, FL
31,801 people
Pekin, IL
31,812 people
San Pablo, CA
31,771 people
Carlsbad, NM
31,813 people
Dania Beach, FL
31,739 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Ithaca's $48,617 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

London, CA
$48,618 median income
Prospect Park, NJ
$48,615 median income
Fort Payne, AL
$48,623 median income
Pawhuska, OK
$48,625 median income
Chandler, OK
$48,607 median income
Asheboro, NC
$48,628 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Ithaca, NY Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Ithaca, NY - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 65.1% 6.6% 15.1% 8.2% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 9.2% White 65.1% Black or African American 6.6% Asian 15.1% American Indian 0.3% Native Hawaiian 0.1% Some other race 4.6% Two or more races 8.2% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Ithaca compares to nearby New York cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Ithaca (this city) 31,792 $48,617
Rome 31,795 $58,857
Poughkeepsie 31,778 $60,050
Oceanside 31,907 $145,282
Census ACS 5-year FIPS NY FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Ithaca, NY?

What is the population of Ithaca, NY? +

Ithaca, NY counts 31,792 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Ithaca, NY? +

Ithaca households earn a median of $48,617 annually, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Ithaca? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Ithaca; the closest available measure is the New York state average, a cost of living index of 107.9 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Above Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within New York vary by metro area.

Is Ithaca, NY safe? +

Ithaca has a total crime rate of 3412.0 per 100,000 residents, which is above the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Ithaca, NY? +

A typical home in Ithaca is worth $330,100, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Ithaca? +

Climate normals put Ithaca's yearly average temperature at 45.2°F, 41.7 inches of precipitation. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.