What is the rental vacancy rate in Ithaca, NY?

Name: Vacancy rate in Ithaca, NY, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

The rental vacancy rate in Ithaca, NY is 3.5% (±1.8 points) (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

The homeowner vacancy rate is 1.7% (±2.6 points).

2,016 (±358) homes, 12.5% of all housing units, were vacant, a count that includes seasonal homes and homes being sold or rented.

In Ithaca, the rental vacancy rate went from 4.0% in 2015–2019 to 3.5% in 2020–2024 (−0.5 percentage points), not a measurable change.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Rental vacancy rate: 3.5% (±1.8 points)
Homeowner vacancy rate: 1.7% (±2.6 points)
Vacant homes: 2,016 (±358)

Vacancy in Ithaca against Tompkins County, its state and the nation

Estimate (90% margin of error)
	Ithaca	Tompkins County	New York	United States
Rental vacancy rate	3.5% (±1.8 points)	2.8% (±1.1 points)	3.8% (±0.1 points)	5.5%
Homeowner vacancy rate	1.7% (±2.6 points)	0.9% (±0.7 points)	1.1% (±0.1 points)	0.9%
Vacant housing units	2,016 (±358)	4,541 (±576)	862,595 (±12,628)	14,547,859

The rental vacancy rate is the share of rental homes that are vacant and for rent; it leaves out homes already rented but not yet moved into, and seasonal homes.

In Ithaca, the rental vacancy rate is not measurably different from Tompkins County (2.8%).

It is not measurably different from New York (3.8%).

It is lower than the national figure (5.5%).

Rental vacancy rate in places near Ithaca

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Ithaca
Place	Distance	Rental vacancy rate	Compared with this place
Ithaca	—	3.5% (±1.8 points)	—
Village of Cayuga Heights	1.8 mi	13.7% (±13.4 points)	Not measurably different
Forest Home	1.8 mi	7.9% (±11.7 points)	Not measurably different
Northwest Ithaca	1.9 mi	0.0% (±7.8 points)	Not measurably different
South Hill	2.4 mi	0.0% (±10.2 points)	Not measurably different
East Ithaca	2.6 mi	0.0% (±9.4 points)	Not measurably different
Northeast Ithaca	2.6 mi	0.0% (±8.1 points)	Not measurably different
Town of Ithaca	2.8 mi	3.9% (±3.4 points)	Not measurably different
Village of Lansing	3.3 mi	0.0% (±2.9 points)	Lower

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Village of Lansing, NY (0.0%).

Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.

Rental vacancy rate across Tompkins County, place by place

Rank	Place	Rental vacancy rate
1	Town of Newfield	17.9% (±14.7 points)
2	Town of Ithaca	3.9% (±3.4 points)
3	Ithaca	3.5% (±1.8 points)
4	Town of Ulysses	0.9% (±1.3 points)
5	Town of Dryden	0.1% (±0.1 points)
6 (tie)	Town of Caroline	0.0% (±7.1 points)
6 (tie)	Town of Danby	0.0% (±21.3 points)
6 (tie)	Town of Enfield	0.0% (±14.3 points)
6 (tie)	Town of Groton	0.0% (±7.0 points)

Showing 9 of 10 places in Tompkins County, ranked from highest to lowest.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

What you can do on Seayora in Ithaca

One account for renting, owning, managing and fixing homes, with these figures beside you.

Looking for a place to rent?

Browse homes for rent near Ithaca, save the ones you like and apply online.

Browse rentals · Create a renter account

Own or manage a rental?

List it, sign the lease and collect rent online, with the figures for Ithaca beside you.

Create a landlord account · See what landlords get

Do repairs, renovations or maintenance?

Get found by owners and renters near Ithaca, and send estimates and invoices from your phone.

Join as a pro · Find a pro

Questions about Ithaca

Is it hard to find a rental in Ithaca?

The rental vacancy rate in Ithaca, NY is 3.5% (±1.8 points); a low rate means few rental homes stand empty and for rent at any time, which usually means more competition for each one.

Is the rental market in Ithaca tighter than it was?

In Ithaca, the rental vacancy rate went from 4.0% in 2015–2019 to 3.5% in 2020–2024 (−0.5 percentage points), not a measurable change.

How many homes are vacant in Ithaca?

An estimated 2,016 (±358) housing units, 12.5% of the total, including seasonal homes and homes waiting to be sold or rented.

Sources

To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Ithaca city, Tompkins County, New York (county subdivision:38077, in state:36 county:109).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The 2015–2019 figures are DP04_0005E, DP04_0005M from the 2019 release.

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0005E, DP04_0005M, DP04_0004E, DP04_0004M, DP04_0003E, DP04_0003M, DP04_0003PE, DP04_0003PM

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.