How old are the homes in the Town of Ithaca, NY?

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

58.8% (±6.3 points) of the homes in the Town of Ithaca, NY were built before 1980 (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

10.5% were built before 1940.

6.4% were built in 2010 or later.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Built before 1980: 58.8% (±6.3 points)
Built before 1940: 10.5%
Built 2010 or later: 6.4%

When the homes in the Town of Ithaca were built

Housing units by year structure built, 2020–2024
Year built	Town of Ithaca	Tompkins County	New York	United States
2020 or later	0.2% (±0.3 points)	1.1%	0.8%	2.0%
2010 to 2019	6.2% (±1.9 points)	8.3%	5.3%	9.4%
2000 to 2009	9.0% (±2.5 points)	7.9%	6.4%	13.6%
1990 to 1999	13.4% (±3.0 points)	12.2%	5.9%	12.4%
1980 to 1989	12.3% (±3.5 points)	13.1%	7.7%	12.9%
1970 to 1979	16.4% (±3.3 points)	13.0%	9.8%	14.2%
1960 to 1969	16.0% (±3.8 points)	8.2%	12.1%	9.9%
1950 to 1959	12.8% (±2.7 points)	7.4%	14.1%	9.5%
1940 to 1949	3.1% (±1.5 points)	2.9%	7.6%	4.4%
1939 or earlier	10.5% (±2.2 points)	25.9%	30.3%	11.7%

In the Town of Ithaca, the share of homes built before 1980 is not measurably different from Tompkins County (57.4%).

It is also lower than in New York (73.9%).

It is higher than the national figure (49.7%).

In Tompkins County, the Town of Ithaca ranks 5 of 10 places with a published estimate, from highest to lowest share of homes built before 1980.

Statewide, it ranks 608 of 1,006.

Rankings use the estimates alone; where margins of error overlap, neighboring ranks may not truly differ.

Why the age of a home matters: lead-based paint

Federal law treats housing built before 1978 as likely to contain lead-based paint.

Before a lease or sale of most pre-1978 housing, the landlord or seller must disclose any known lead-based paint and hazards and give the tenant or buyer the EPA pamphlet (42 U.S.C. § 4852d; 40 CFR part 745, subpart F; 24 CFR part 35, subpart A).

A contractor paid to renovate, repair or paint a pre-1978 home must be a certified firm, use a certified renovator and follow lead-safe work practices under the Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule (40 CFR part 745, subpart E) whenever the job disturbs more than 6 square feet of painted surface in a room or more than 20 square feet outside; window replacement and demolition always count (40 CFR 745.83).

Certification comes from EPA, or from the state where EPA has authorized the state to run the program.

The Census Bureau groups construction by decade, so the share built before 1978 lies between the share built before 1970 (42.4%) and the share built before 1980 (58.8%).

Homes built before 1980 in places near the Town of Ithaca

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with the Town of Ithaca
Place	Distance	Homes built before 1980	Compared with this place
Town of Ithaca	—	58.8% (±6.3 points)	—
Ithaca	2.8 mi	65.3% (±5.5 points)	Not measurably different
Town of Enfield	4.5 mi	38.0% (±9.5 points)	Lower
Village of Cayuga Heights	4.6 mi	70.7% (±16.0 points)	Not measurably different
Village of Lansing	5.9 mi	45.7% (±15.7 points)	Not measurably different
Town of Newfield	6.4 mi	41.8% (±10.1 points)	Lower
Town of Danby	6.7 mi	41.1% (±11.3 points)	Lower
Town of Ulysses	7.9 mi	66.1% (±12.1 points)	Not measurably different
South Lansing	8.5 mi	36.9% (±24.3 points)	Not measurably different

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Town of Enfield, NY (38.0%), Town of Newfield, NY (41.8%), Town of Danby, NY (41.1%).

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

Homes built before 1980 across Tompkins County, place by place

Rank	Place	Homes built before 1980
1	Town of Ulysses	66.1% (±12.1 points)
2	Ithaca	65.3% (±5.5 points)
3	Town of Caroline	63.2% (±12.0 points)
4	Town of Groton	62.1% (±9.1 points)
5	Town of Ithaca	58.8% (±6.3 points)
6	Town of Dryden	52.9% (±5.8 points)
7	Town of Lansing	45.5% (±8.6 points)
8	Town of Newfield	41.8% (±10.1 points)
9	Town of Danby	41.1% (±11.3 points)
10	Town of Enfield	38.0% (±9.5 points)

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).

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

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Questions about Town of Ithaca

How old are most homes in the Town of Ithaca?

58.8% of homes in the Town of Ithaca, NY were built before 1980 (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Do homes in the Town of Ithaca need a lead paint disclosure?

A home built before 1978 does, before it is rented or sold, unless an exemption applies (42 U.S.C. § 4852d); between 42.4% and 58.8% of homes in the Town of Ithaca were built before then.

Does a contractor need lead certification to work on older homes in the Town of Ithaca?

Yes, when the job disturbs more than 6 square feet of paint in a room or 20 square feet outside, or replaces a window: the firm must be certified and a certified renovator must direct the work under the Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule (40 CFR part 745, subpart E).

Sources

Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Ithaca town, Tompkins County, New York

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 API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0017PE, DP04_0017PM, DP04_0018PE, DP04_0018PM, DP04_0019PE, DP04_0019PM, DP04_0020PE, DP04_0020PM, DP04_0021PE, DP04_0021PM, DP04_0022PE, DP04_0022PM, DP04_0023PE, DP04_0023PM, DP04_0024PE, DP04_0024PM, DP04_0025PE, DP04_0025PM, DP04_0026PE, DP04_0026PM

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.