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Cost of living, pay and housing

42.47° N · 76.49° W · GEOID 3613079

Cayuga Heights

Tompkins County, New York · part of the Ithaca, NY metro

Limited data population under 5,000

New YorkCayuga Heights, NYCayuga HeightsCayuga Heights

The short answer

Cayuga Heights is home to 4,000 people. Median household income is $166,526 a year and median rent is $1,700 a month, 12.3% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $433,000, about 2.6x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$1,700
25% above the median place
Median household income
$166,526
107% above the median place
Median home value
$433,000
36% above the median place
Unemployment
5.5%
13% above the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Cayuga Heights

  • Counting remote workers as zero, the average worker spends about 80 hours a year commuting, less than in 98% of the 2,101 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 331 New York places.
  • 81% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, a larger share than in 98% of places its size.
  • After the median rent, and with prices for everything else adjusted to the US average, the median household has about $148,800 a year left, more than in 94% of places its size.
  • The population has fallen 5.6% since 2020, a steeper drop than in 96% of places its size.
  • The median rent takes only 12.3% of the median household's income, a smaller share than in 95% of places its size.

High pay has not made renting easy. Household income is higher than in 94% of places we track, yet 63% of renters still spend 30% or more of income on rent.

01

Moving to Cayuga Heights

Tompkins County loses about 12.8 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in4,420
Moved out5,267
Net−847

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

New York County, NY98222−124
Tioga County, NY126171−45
Schuyler County, NY76104−28

Within New York, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within New YorkOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$66K
Leavers$69K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Tompkins County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
20.0% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 12.1% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Tompkins County report $65,800 a year in income on average; those leaving, $69,000.
Income you would need
$68,000 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,700 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,875 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $433,000.
Getting to work
13 minutes each way on average; 22.5% work from home; 12.5% take transit.
If it is close but not quite
East Grand Rapids, MI matches it on character. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
12.1%
above the median place (median 2.0%)
Moved here in the past year1
20.0%
248% above the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people8
-12.8
below the median place (median -0.6)
All 5 moving measures
MeasureCayuga HeightsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year120.0%248% above
Moved from another state112.1%above (median 2.0%)
Net movers per 1,000 people8County figure-12.8below (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in8County figure$65,8187% below
Income of households moving out8County figure$69,0102% below
02

What it costs to live here

Rent to income is 12.3%, 40% below the median place.

Cayuga Heights12.3%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$68,000
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
12.3%
40% below the median place
Home price to income
2.6x
32% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
12%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$149,300
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Cayuga Heights, $1,700 a month, and local prices for everything else (98.2 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Cayuga Heights, but easier on the budget

Close matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income.

PlaceRent to incomeMore left a year
Wyoming, OH9.1% vs 12.3%$6,100Compare
Parkville, MO8.1% vs 12.3%$19,000Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Cayuga Heights.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Cayuga Heights? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Property tax paid (median)1
$10,001
206% above the median place
Renters paying 30%+1
63.2%
25% above the median place
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$2,875
54% above the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureCayuga HeightsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,70025% above
Rent to income112.3%40% below
Home price to income12.6x32% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure103.32% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,7096% above
HUD area median income4County figure$118,00010% above
Property tax paid (median)1$10,001206% above
Median home value1$433,00036% above
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure6.7%111% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure56.0%9% above
Homeownership161.1%8% below
Renters paying 30%+163.2%25% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,87554% above
Vacant homes1County figure9.5%35% above
Median year built119661% below
03

Work and pay

Mean commute is 13 min, 47% below the median place.

Mean commute1
13 min
47% below the median place
Commutes by transit1
12.5%
above the median place (median 0.8%)
Median household income1
$166,526
107% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Income per person$70,380 +76%
Works from home22.5% +81%
Poverty rate11.2% +4%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureCayuga HeightsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$166,526107% above
Income per person1$70,38076% above
Unemployment1County figure5.5%13% above
Average annual pay6County figure$72,1529% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure3.4%8% below
Jobs6County figure47,71168% below
Poverty rate111.2%4% above
Mean commute113 min47% below
Works from home122.5%81% above
Commutes by transit112.5%above (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Bachelor's or higher is 81.3%, 154% above the median place.

Bachelor's or higher1
81.3%
154% above the median place
Population change since 20207
-5.6%
below the median place (median 1.1%)
Homes with broadband1
81.8%
11% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

High school or higher97.7% +6%
Household size2.2 −14%
Born abroad23.6% 2.7×
Median age34.3 −12%
No health insurance4.0% −38%
All 9 people measures
MeasureCayuga HeightsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population14,0006646th largest
Population change since 20207-5.6%below (median 1.1%)
Median age134.312% below
Bachelor's or higher181.3%154% above
High school or higher197.7%6% above
Household size12.214% below
Born abroad123.6%168% above
No health insurance14.0%38% below
Homes with broadband181.8%11% below
05

Life in Cayuga Heights

67 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, one of them a National Historic Landmark.

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents5.0 −51%
Playgrounds per 10k10.0 +6%
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k10.0 −10%
Libraries per 10k5.0 5.7×
Named paths and bike trails10 km 5.2×
Bus and rail stops per sq mi18.7 89.0×

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars22.6 +9%
Shops27.6 −9%
Arts, recreation and fitness5.5 +34%
Doctors' offices and clinics18.0 −11%
Child care centers4.4 +91%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Students per teacher13
9.6
38% below the median place
Child care centers per 10k9
4.4
91% above the median place
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k9
5.5
34% above the median place
All 16 schools and local life measures
MeasureCayuga HeightsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools13County figure33267% above
Public school students13County figure10,392112% above
Students per teacher13County figure9.638% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k9County figure22.69% above
Shops per 10k9County figure27.69% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k9County figure5.534% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k9County figure18.011% below
Child care centers per 10k9County figure4.491% above
Parks per 10k105.051% below
Playgrounds per 10k1010.06% above
Grocery stores per 10k100.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k1010.010% below
Libraries per 10k105.0above (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails1010.3above (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi1018.7above (median 0.2)
National Register listings11County figure67above (median 13)
06

Safety, weather and risk

Violent crime per 100k is 26, 87% below the median place.

Violent crime per 100k
26
87% below the median place
Property crime per 100k
128
89% below the median place
Months reported
12 of 12
by the city police department to the FBI

Counts only offenses reported by the city police department. Sheriff, state and campus police are not included, and some departments do not report to the FBI at all, so compare with care.

Good air days16
93.2%
36% above the median place
July average high14
80°F
8% below the median place
Average temperature14
47°F
15% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureCayuga HeightsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high14County figure80°F8% below
January average low14County figure15°F40% below
Average temperature14County figure47°F15% below
Annual precipitation14County figure39.9 in9% below
Natural hazard risk15County figure73.920% below
Hurricane risk15County figure64.59% below
Tornado risk15County figure59.028% below
Wildfire risk15County figure22.264% below
Heat wave risk15County figure47.947% below
Median air quality index16County figure3519% below
Good air days16County figure93.2%36% above
08

Cayuga Heights in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 12% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 12% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,700/mo (2024)$2,200/mo$1,810 to $2,680/mo+4.4%
Median household income$166,526 (2024)$215,500$182,000 to $255,000+4.4%
Median home value$433,000 (2024)$590,000$428,000 to $812,000+5.3%
Population3,860 (2025)3,7803,620 to 3,940−0.4%

The median home would be worth 2.7 years of the median income in 2030, against 2.6 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Cayuga Heights

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
East Grand Rapids, MI$1,862$166,610Compare
Madeira, OH$1,777$167,653Compare
Glendale, MO$1,855$170,700Compare
Bexley, OH$1,268$157,841Compare
Bexley, OHGlendale, MOMadeira, OHEast Grand Rapids, MICayuga Heights, NYCayuga HeightsEast Grand RapidsMadeiraGlendaleBexleyCayuga HeightsEast Grand RapidsMadeiraGlendaleBexley

Common questions

Is Cayuga Heights a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Counting remote workers as zero, the average worker spends about 80 hours a year commuting, less than in 98% of the 2,101 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 331 New York places. 81% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, a larger share than in 98% of places its size. On cost, space and class size it scores 65 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Cayuga Heights expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 12.3% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $433,000.

What salary do you need to live in Cayuga Heights?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $68,000 a year. Work it out from your current city.

Is Cayuga Heights safe?

There were 26 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, against 192 in the typical place.

What places are similar to Cayuga Heights?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are East Grand Rapids, MI, Madeira, OH, Glendale, MO and Bexley, OH.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  8. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  9. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  10. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
  13. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  14. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  15. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  16. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Cayuga Heights with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Cayuga Heights itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/cayuga-heights-new-york

Citytistics. “Cayuga Heights, New York.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/cayuga-heights-new-york/

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