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
$1,579
Median rent

Data Snapshot: Ithaca, NY

Ithaca is a city in New York with a population of 31,792 residents based on U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here reaches $48,617 per year, while the poverty rate sits at 9.1%. Typical homes in Ithaca are valued around $330,100, and the median resident age is 23.6 years. About 70.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 50.0% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 117 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 72% from five years earlier. FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 3412.0 incidents per 1,000 residents, above the national average, indicating elevated public-safety concerns. NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 45.2°F with 41.7 inches of precipitation per year.

On a cost-of-living index where 100 equals the national average, New York registers 107.9 (Near Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,579 per month. Average monthly utility bills run around $285 based on EIA 2023 residential energy data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 69.4 out of 100 (Moderate).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, PlainCities renders standardized city-level demographic, income, education, employment, and housing indicators across more than 19,000 incorporated places nationwide. Population counts and median household income figures are sourced directly from Census Table B01003 and B19013 respectively, with poverty rates from B17001 and cost-of-living adjustments from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities (RPP) 2024 release. Every value displayed in this snapshot links back to the official upstream tables and is refreshed on the ACS annual release cadence (typically December of the survey year + 1).

Methodology: city boundaries follow the Census Bureau's place-level geography (incorporated places, census-designated places, and consolidated city-county governments), with FIPS codes ensuring consistent identifiers across decennial and annual surveys. Cost-of-living comparisons use BEA's Regional Price Parities (RPP) indexed to the national average (100), enabling cross-city purchasing-power comparisons. See our methodology page for full source attribution, refresh cadence, and known data quality limitations including margin-of-error disclosure and sample-size thresholds.

Population

31,792 residents

Census ACS 2023 — New York

Median Household Income

$48,617 /yr

Poverty 9.1%

Cost of Living Index

107.9 (US=100)

Near Average — BEA RPP 2024

How does Ithaca compare to other US cities?

Where Ithaca sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure — computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 17% higher than other cities
Home value 69% pricier than other cities
Median rent 78% pricier than other cities
Safety 11% safer than other cities

Percentiles compare Ithaca against every US city with at least 1,000 residents. "Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Income distribution context

Household income distribution — Ithaca, NY Quintile shares of aggregate household income for Ithaca, NY. The Lorenz curve traces 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 — Census ACS quintile shares 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%
Household income distribution for Ithaca, NY — Census ACS 5-year estimates. 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 1,000 residents
Violent Crime
196.2
per 1,000 residents
Property Crime
3215.8
per 1,000 residents

Climate

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

Schools

Total Schools
13
Public schools in this city

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

New York state-level data from PlainCost, PlainRent, and PlainHazard

Cost of Living Index
107.9
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,579/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
State-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
69.4 / 100
Moderate
FEMA NRI composite score

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% 59.5% 12.1% 6.1% 10.6% 10.3% ETHNICITY — Hispanic or Latino (any race) 18.7% White 59.5% Black or African American 12.1% Asian 6.1% American Indian 1.2% Native Hawaiian 0.2% Some other race 10.6% Two or more races 10.3% 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.

National-average reference values shown when city-level race/ethnicity table is not loaded. Source: Census ACS 5-year, OMB Directive 15 race-and-ethnicity categories.

How Ithaca compares to nearby New York cities

Census ACS 2023 — population and median income benchmarks

Side-by-side population + income comparison anchored on the current city (Ithaca) plus the nearest peer cities in New York, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).
Selected

NY

Ithaca

48.62% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$48,617
Brackets
32
Selected

NY

Rome

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$3,180
Brackets
32
Selected

NY

Poughkeepsie

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$3,180
Brackets
32
Selected

NY

Oceanside

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$3,190
Brackets
32
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 has a population of 31,792 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

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

The median household income in Ithaca is $48,617 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Ithaca? +

Ithaca has a cost of living index of 107.9 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data.

Is Ithaca, NY safe? +

Ithaca has a total crime rate of 3412.0 per 1,000 residents, which is above the national average. Source: FBI UCR data.

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

The median home value in Ithaca is $330,100, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Ithaca? +

Ithaca has an average annual temperature of 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.

Related

Data sourced from official U.S. government datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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