Population 60,626 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Ithaca
Household size in Ithaca
| Period | Ithaca | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.25 | 2.68 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.42 | 2.72 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.30 | 2.69 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 1.99 | 2.65 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.26 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in Ithaca are small: just 1.99 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.25, a much bigger shift than nationally. Only eight of the 488 New York cities with 5,000+ people have smaller households.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Ithaca
| Period | Ithaca | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.6 | 38.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 30.6 | 39.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 31.1 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 32.5 | 40.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.8 | +2.5 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 32.5, Ithaca is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward young adults, many of them living alone or as couples. The median age has crept up from 31.6 in 2006–10, as it has nationally. Of the 488 New York cities with 5,000+ people, only 15 are younger.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Ithaca
| Period | Ithaca | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.2% | 13.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.4% | 12.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.9% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.6% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.4 pts | −1.5 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 7.6% of households in Ithaca, well below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is up 1.4 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Ithaca
Renters in Ithaca
| Period | Ithaca | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 56.0% | 44.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 55.3% | 46.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 56.7% | 46.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 55.5% | 45.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.5 pts | +0.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renters far outnumber owners in Ithaca: 55.5% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% nationally. Among homeowners, 52.5% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%. Since 2006–10, the renter share has edged down 0.5 points, even as the national share rose. Of the 488 New York cities with 5,000+ people, only 18 have a higher share of renters.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Ithaca
| Period | Ithaca | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.6% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.7% | 10.4% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 11.0% | 11.0% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.3% | 9.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | +2.7 pts | −0.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs a little high in Ithaca: 11.3% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Since 2006–10, vacancy has risen 2.7 points, even as the national rate fell.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Ithaca
| Period | Ithaca | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1960 | 1956 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1963 | 1957 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1968 | 1958 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1968 | 1961 | 1980 |
| Change | +8 | +5 | +6 |
Ithaca is a place of older homes: half were built before 1968, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. Even so, homes here are newer than in New York as a whole, where the median home dates to 1961. The newest homes are mostly in the northwest, the oldest in the center.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Ithaca
| Period | Ithaca | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $878 | $1,095 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,033 | $1,201 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,239 | $1,426 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,503 | $1,794 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$624 | +$698 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Ithaca costs $1,503 a month with utilities, close to the national median of $1,571. Rents here are lower than in New York as a whole ($1,794). Rents are up $624 a month from 2006–10, a 71% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 35.1% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Ithaca
Bachelor's degrees in Ithaca
| Period | Ithaca | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 60.6% | 31.9% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 63.9% | 33.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 67.0% | 36.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 68.7% | 39.8% | 35.6% |
| Change | +8.1 pts | +8.0 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Ithaca: 68.7% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 35.6% nationally. Education tends to track local incomes and the kinds of jobs nearby. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 8.1 points, in line with the national trend. Of the 488 New York cities with 5,000+ people, only 30 have a higher share of college graduates.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Ithaca
| Period | Ithaca | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 93.3% | 84.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 94.9% | 84.9% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 95.8% | 86.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 95.6% | 87.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.2 pts | +3.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Ithaca: 95.6% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 2.2 points, as it has nationally.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Ithaca
| Period | Ithaca | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.1% | 7.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.2% | 9.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.1% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.2% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | +2.1 pts | −1.2 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little harder to find in Ithaca than nationally: unemployment was 6.2%, against 5.4%. Unemployment has risen 2.1 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate fell. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Ithaca compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ithaca | 1.99 | 32.5 | 7.6% | 55.5% | 11.3% | 1968 | $1,503 | 68.7% | 95.6% | 6.2% |
| Cayuga Heights | 2.18 | 38.6 | 2.0% | 47.4% | 13.3% | 1970 | $2,025 | 86.5% | 97.8% | 5.7% |
| Varna | 2.12 | 36.0 | 5.0% | 54.3% | 13.3% | 1979 | $1,447 | 65.5% | 97.5% | 4.7% |
| Renwick | 3.02 | 47.5 | 4.1% | 21.7% | 5.0% | 1993 | $1,525 | 59.2% | 100.0% | 15.2% |
| Etna | 2.05 | 35.8 | 2.2% | 57.9% | 17.6% | 1975 | $1,782 | 70.3% | 94.6% | 5.3% |
| Danby | 2.41 | 41.5 | 7.0% | 15.3% | 6.1% | 1984 | $1,016 | 64.6% | 96.9% | 0.7% |
| West Dryden | 2.39 | 36.9 | 8.2% | 32.1% | 7.8% | 1985 | $1,118 | 51.4% | 95.3% | 7.9% |
| Myers | 2.53 | 42.9 | 16.4% | 29.9% | 7.3% | 1985 | $1,223 | 51.0% | 96.6% | 5.9% |
| Jacksonville | 2.12 | 41.9 | 11.4% | 30.5% | 21.8% | 1977 | $1,369 | 64.7% | 98.9% | 2.0% |
| Enfield | 2.43 | 44.9 | 11.5% | 16.2% | 6.8% | 1985 | $1,269 | 45.8% | 92.7% | 1.7% |
| Slaterville Springs | 2.23 | 47.6 | 6.6% | 37.1% | 3.0% | 1977 | $1,585 | 69.9% | 98.9% | 7.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Wilmington, CA · Pico Rivera, CA · Brentwood, NY · Wellington, FL · Smyrna, TN · Sheboygan, WI · San Gabriel, CA · Richland, WA · Revere, MA · Montebello, CA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Ithaca. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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