The Syracuse metro area: Madison, Onondaga and Oswego counties · Population 656,410 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of the Syracuse area: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in the Syracuse area
Household size in the Syracuse area
| Period | Syracuse area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.51 | 2.68 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.50 | 2.72 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.46 | 2.69 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.34 | 2.65 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.17 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
The Syracuse area is a place of small households, averaging 2.34 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Household size has dropped from 2.51 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Of the 100 large U.S. metro areas, only four 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 the Syracuse area
| Period | Syracuse area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.9 | 38.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.7 | 39.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 40.7 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.4 | 40.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.5 | +2.5 | +2.3 |
At 41.4, the median age in the Syracuse area is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 38.9, in line with the national trend.
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 the Syracuse area
| Period | Syracuse area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.1% | 13.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.1% | 12.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.0% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.4% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.7 pts | −1.5 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in the Syracuse area as they are nationally: 11.4%, against 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has edged down 0.7 points, mirroring the country.
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 the Syracuse area
Renters in the Syracuse area
| Period | Syracuse area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.6% | 44.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 32.9% | 46.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 32.9% | 46.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 31.6% | 45.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.0 pts | +0.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in the Syracuse area own their homes; 31.6% rent, a little below the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 42.7% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the southwest.
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 the Syracuse area
| Period | Syracuse area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.2% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.4% | 10.4% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 13.0% | 11.0% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.4% | 9.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.8 pts | −0.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in the Syracuse area as nationally: 9.4%, against 9.6%. Vacancy is down 1.8 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 the Syracuse area
| Period | Syracuse area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1962 | 1956 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1963 | 1957 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1964 | 1958 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1967 | 1961 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +5 | +6 |
The Syracuse area is a place of older homes: half were built before 1967, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. Still, homes here are newer than in New York overall, where the median home dates to 1961. Newer construction is concentrated in the north, while the center has the oldest housing.
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 the Syracuse area
| Period | Syracuse area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $748 | $1,095 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $794 | $1,201 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $911 | $1,426 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,138 | $1,794 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$390 | +$698 | +$606 |
A typical rental in the Syracuse area costs $1,138 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $390 a month from 2006–10, a 52% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 31.7% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the west; the most affordable are in the east.
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 the Syracuse area
Bachelor's degrees in the Syracuse area
| Period | Syracuse area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.7% | 31.9% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 30.7% | 33.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 31.8% | 36.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 35.8% | 39.8% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.2 pts | +8.0 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are about as common in the Syracuse area as nationally: 35.8% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share is lower than in New York overall (39.8%). The share with a degree is up 7.2 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 the Syracuse area
| Period | Syracuse area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 88.6% | 84.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 89.1% | 84.9% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.3% | 86.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.3% | 87.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.7 pts | +3.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in the Syracuse area have finished high school (91.3%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 2.7 points from 2006–10, 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 the Syracuse area
| Period | Syracuse area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.3% | 7.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.5% | 9.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.8% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.6% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.7 pts | −1.2 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.6%, unemployment in the Syracuse area is close to the national rate of 5.4%. The rate is lower than in New York overall (6.6%). Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 1.7 points, mirroring the country.
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).
Largest cities in the Syracuse area
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Syracuse area (all) | 2.34 | 41.4 | 11.4% | 31.6% | 9.4% | 1967 | $1,138 | 35.8% | 91.3% | 5.6% |
| Liverpool | 2.22 | 41.6 | 9.0% | 36.8% | 3.9% | 1976 | $1,357 | 41.1% | 94.0% | 3.9% |
| Auburn | 2.18 | 44.6 | 15.9% | 40.0% | 11.3% | 1951 | $1,076 | 25.2% | 90.0% | 4.0% |
| Baldwinsville | 2.40 | 42.2 | 8.2% | 28.8% | 3.9% | 1983 | $1,228 | 46.2% | 95.1% | 3.9% |
| Oswego | 2.40 | 36.6 | 16.6% | 37.8% | 13.3% | 1965 | $1,086 | 27.8% | 89.7% | 9.2% |
| Fulton | 2.43 | 39.2 | 19.6% | 34.7% | 8.4% | 1960 | $938 | 18.9% | 87.0% | 5.3% |
| Cicero | 2.48 | 42.9 | 8.5% | 15.7% | 6.4% | 1986 | $1,196 | 39.6% | 96.9% | 3.2% |
| Manlius | 2.50 | 44.9 | 5.1% | 17.9% | 2.8% | 1978 | $1,321 | 65.5% | 96.4% | 3.7% |
| East Syracuse | 2.32 | 44.4 | 10.2% | 23.9% | 5.4% | 1964 | $1,235 | 34.6% | 92.3% | 5.2% |
| Camillus | 2.31 | 48.0 | 5.6% | 21.4% | 3.7% | 1973 | $1,183 | 44.6% | 94.6% | 3.4% |
| Fayetteville | 2.38 | 46.4 | 9.2% | 19.6% | 10.2% | 1966 | $1,247 | 65.0% | 97.4% | 2.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Metro areas of similar size: Melbourne area · Augusta area · Jackson area · Ogden area · Wichita area · Daytona Beach area · Provo area · Winston-Salem area · Madison area · Poughkeepsie area
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 the Syracuse area. 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.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.