Housing data for the Town of Ithaca, NY
The Town of Ithaca, NY has an estimated 20,968 residents and 7,891 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a town in Tompkins County.
38.0% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $1,558 a month.
Its population grew measurably since 2015–2019 (+5.6%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 20,968 (±42)
- Housing units
- 7,891 (±429)
- Households that rent
- 38.0%
- Median gross rent
- $1,558
- Residents since 2015–2019
- +5.6%
What stands out in the Town of Ithaca
Median household income: $105,978 (±$17,785) in the Town of Ithaca, higher than in Tompkins County ($74,024).
Homes heated by fuel oil: 1.9% (±1.9 points) in the Town of Ithaca, lower than in Tompkins County (7.0%).
Median home value: $368,700 (±$12,968) in the Town of Ithaca, higher than in Tompkins County ($290,900).
Median real estate taxes: $8,273 (±$418) in the Town of Ithaca, higher than in Tompkins County ($6,515).
- Income and affordability in the Town of Ithaca
- Heating fuel in the Town of Ithaca
- Home values in the Town of Ithaca
- Property taxes in the Town of Ithaca
Housing in the Town of Ithaca at a glance
- Median rent: $1,558 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $1,594 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 59.0% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 38.0% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $105,978 median household income
- Home values: $368,700 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $2,350 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $8,273 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 21.8% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 60.4% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 58.8% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 3.9% rental vacancy rate
- Heating fuel: 63.4% heat with utility gas
- Commute and cars: 16.6 minutes average trip to work
- Growth: +5.6% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 28.5% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 2.4% of homes have more than 1 person per room
The Town of Ithaca against Tompkins County, its state and the nation
| Town of Ithaca | Tompkins County | New York | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 20,968 (±42) | 104,537 (exact) | 19,852,366 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 7,891 (±429) | 47,804 (±131) | 8,585,241 (±652) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 38.0% (±4.7 points) | 45.9% (±1.5 points) | 45.7% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $1,558 (±$122) | $1,411 (±$42) | $1,621 (±$7) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $105,978 (±$17,785) | $74,024 (±$4,332) | $85,974 (±$402) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $368,700 (±$12,968) | $290,900 (±$12,898) | $423,800 (±$1,627) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $8,273 (±$418) | $6,515 (±$264) | $6,582 (±$21) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 58.8% (±6.3 points) | 57.4% (±2.6 points) | 73.9% (±0.2 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 16.6 minutes (±1.4) | 20.1 minutes (±1.0) | 32.6 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 90.5% (±2.3 points) | 90.6% (±1.2 points) | 90.8% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 29.3 years (±2.1) | 32.3 years (±0.3) | 39.8 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
The Town of Ithaca covers 28.9 square miles of land, about 724 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How the Town of Ithaca has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 19,847 (±38) | 20,968 (±42) | +5.6% | Measurable increase |
| Housing units | 7,440 (±332) | 7,891 (±429) | +6.1% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $1,236 (±$61) | $1,558 (±$122) | +26.1% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $272,500 (±$20,145) | $368,700 (±$12,968) | +35.3% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $67,350 (±$4,991) | $105,978 (±$17,785) | +57.4% | Up after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $1,988 (±$178) | $2,350 (±$135) | +18.2% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $6,543 (±$437) | $8,273 (±$418) | +26.4% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 47.3% (±3.2 points) | 38.0% (±4.7 points) | −9.3 percentage points | Measurable decrease |
| Rental vacancy rate | 4.3% (±2.5 points) | 3.9% (±3.4 points) | −0.4 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Tompkins County
The Town of Ithaca has no police department of its own in the FBI’s figures, so this is the figure for Tompkins County as a whole.
In 2025, the police departments that report for Tompkins County recorded 88 violent and 1,177 property crimes per 100,000 residents.
A county-wide figure describes the whole county, not this place; crime varies from one community to the next.
ZIP codes in the Town of Ithaca
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14850 | 25% | 68,610 | $1,480 | $353,500 | $71,445 |
A ZIP code is a mail route rather than a boundary, so the Census Bureau publishes figures for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas built from census blocks; the share column says how much of each one’s land lies in this place.
Places near the Town of Ithaca
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ithaca | 2.8 mi | $1,447 | $342,700 | 70.4% |
| Town of Enfield | 4.5 mi | $1,301 | $224,000 | 20.8% |
| Village of Cayuga Heights | 4.6 mi | $1,700 | $433,000 | 38.9% |
| Village of Lansing | 5.9 mi | $1,726 | $516,900 | 76.6% |
| Town of Newfield | 6.4 mi | $1,180 | $171,300 | 19.7% |
| Town of Danby | 6.7 mi | $1,200 | $291,800 | 12.8% |
| Town of Ulysses | 7.9 mi | $1,274 | $274,500 | 32.5% |
| South Lansing | 8.5 mi | — | $350,400 | 40.2% |
Places in New York most like the Town of Ithaca
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Latham | $1,472 | $326,900 | $104,899 | 37.6% |
| Town of Guilderland | $1,564 | $357,400 | $112,273 | 34.7% |
| Town of Colonie | $1,436 | $322,900 | $101,676 | 31.0% |
| Harris Hill | $1,734 | $322,600 | $100,881 | 29.6% |
| Village of Red Hook | $1,386 | $378,200 | $107,411 | 33.8% |
| East Greenbush (community) | $1,753 | $303,400 | $118,393 | 35.7% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across New York.
HUD Fair Market Rent for the Town of Ithaca, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,198 | $1,427 | $1,709 | $2,040 | $2,631 |
HUD income limits for the Town of Ithaca, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $24,800 | $41,300 | $66,100 |
| 2 people | $28,350 | $47,200 | $75,550 |
| 3 people | $31,900 | $53,100 | $85,000 |
| 4 people | $35,400 | $59,000 | $94,400 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $63,750 | $102,000 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $68,450 | $109,550 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $73,200 | $117,100 |
| 8 people | $55,720 | $77,900 | $124,650 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Ithaca, NY MSA, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $118,000.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
A New York town includes the villages and hamlets inside it, so the figures for the Town of Ithaca include them.
The figures for the Town of Ithaca include the places inside it that have pages of their own: East Ithaca, Forest Home, Northeast Ithaca, Northwest Ithaca, South Hill.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Town of Ithaca
What is the average rent in the Town of Ithaca, NY?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in the Town of Ithaca is $1,558 (±$122) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in the Town of Ithaca?
The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in the Town of Ithaca, NY is $1,412 (±$124) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Are renters in the Town of Ithaca rent-burdened?
59.0% of renting households in the Town of Ithaca pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in the Town of Ithaca?
The Town of Ithaca has an estimated 2,708 (±417) renting households, 38.0% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in the Town of Ithaca?
The median household income in the Town of Ithaca is $105,978 (±$17,785) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in the Town of Ithaca, NY?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $368,700 (±$12,968) for owner-occupied homes in the Town of Ithaca (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is the Town of Ithaca growing?
In the Town of Ithaca, the number of residents went from 19,847 in 2015–2019 to 20,968 in 2020–2024 (+5.6%), a measurable increase.
What ZIP codes are in the Town of Ithaca?
The ZIP code that covers the Town of Ithaca is 14850.
What is the median rent in ZIP code 14850?
The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 14850 is $1,480 (±$55) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Ithaca town, Tompkins County, New York
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Ithaca town, Tompkins County, New York
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Ithaca town, Tompkins County, New York
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Ithaca town, Tompkins County, New York
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Ithaca town, Tompkins County, New York
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Ithaca town, Tompkins County, New York
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Ithaca town, Tompkins County, New York
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Ithaca, NY MSA
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Ithaca, NY MSA
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
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 town, Tompkins County, New York (county subdivision:38088, 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 B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
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.
Figures last updated on .