CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

42.46° N · 76.54° W · GEOID 3653853

Northwest Ithaca

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

Limited data population under 5,000

New YorkNorthwest Ithaca, NYNorthwest IthacaNorthwest Ithaca

The short answer

Northwest Ithaca is home to 2,225 people. Median household income is $56,753 a year and median rent is $1,185 a month, 25.1% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is moderate. The median home is valued at $312,900, about 5.5x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$1,185
13% below the median place
Median household income
$56,753
29% below the median place
Median home value
$312,900
2% below 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 Northwest Ithaca

  • Counting remote workers as zero, the average worker spends about 90 hours a year commuting, less than in 97% of the 2,101 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the 3rd-lowest of 331 New York places.
  • Household income has grown -4.6% a year across the last five survey releases, slower than in 99% of places its size.
  • Households average 1.95 people, smaller than in 95% of places its size.
  • 71% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a higher share than in 93% of places its size.
  • After the median rent, and with prices for everything else adjusted to the US average, the median household has about $43,300 a year left, less than in 86% of places its size.

Many people here skip the commute entirely: 27% work from home, which keeps total commuting time lower than in 98% of places.

01

Moving to Northwest Ithaca

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
19.4% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 10.8% from another state. County figure.
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
$47,400 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,185 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,756 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $312,900.
Getting to work
16 minutes each way on average; 27.2% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Douglass Hills, KY matches it on character. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
10.8%
above the median place (median 2.0%)
Moved here in the past year1
19.4%
238% above the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people7
-12.8
below the median place (median -0.6)
All 5 moving measures
MeasureNorthwest IthacaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure19.4%238% above
Moved from another state1County figure10.8%above (median 2.0%)
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure-12.8below (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$65,8187% below
Income of households moving out7County figure$69,0102% below
02

What it costs to live here

Renters paying 30%+ is 71.0%, 40% above the median place.

Northwest Ithaca25.1%
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
$47,400
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
25.1%
23% above the median place
Home price to income
5.5x
45% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
25%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$43,600
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Northwest Ithaca, $1,185 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 Northwest Ithaca, 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
Douglass Hills, KY20.7% vs 25.1%$21,500Compare
Shrewsbury, MO18.1% vs 25.1%$23,900Compare
Brighton, MI17.8% vs 25.1%$22,000Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Northwest Ithaca.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Northwest Ithaca? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Renters paying 30%+1
71.0%
40% above the median place
Homeownership1
50.2%
24% below the median place
Property tax rate1
1.5%
67% above the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureNorthwest IthacaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,18513% below
Rent to income125.1%23% above
Property tax rate11.5%67% above
Home price to income15.5x45% above
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$4,75046% above
Median home value1$312,9002% below
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure6.7%111% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure56.0%9% above
Homeownership150.2%24% below
Renters paying 30%+171.0%40% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,7566% below
Vacant homes1County figure9.5%35% above
Median year built119911% above
03

Work and pay

Commutes by transit is 0.0%, below the median place (median 0.8%).

Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Mean commute1
16 min
35% below the median place
Works from home1
27.2%
119% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Median household income$56,753 −29%
Poverty rate17.9% +66%
Income per person$42,053 +5%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureNorthwest IthacaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$56,75329% below
Income per person1$42,0535% 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 rate117.9%66% above
Mean commute116 min35% below
Works from home127.2%119% above
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Household size is 1.9, 22% below the median place.

Household size1
1.9
22% below the median place
Median age1
49.1
26% above the median place
Bachelor's or higher1
56.3%
76% above the median place
All 8 people measures
MeasureNorthwest IthacaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population12,2256646th largest
Median age149.126% above
Bachelor's or higher156.3%76% above
High school or higher190.3%2% below
Household size11.922% below
Born abroad1County figure12.9%47% above
No health insurance1County figure4.4%31% below
Homes with broadband191.4%1% below
05

Life in Northwest Ithaca

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 residents0.0 −100%
Playgrounds per 10k0.0 −100%
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k0.0 −100%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails6 km 2.9×
Bus and rail stops per sq mi4.8 22.8×

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 teacher11
9.6
38% below the median place
Child care centers per 10k8
4.4
91% above the median place
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8
5.5
34% above the median place
All 16 schools and local life measures
MeasureNorthwest IthacaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools11County figure33267% above
Public school students11County figure10,392112% above
Students per teacher11County figure9.638% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure22.69% above
Shops per 10k8County figure27.69% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure5.534% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure18.011% below
Child care centers per 10k8County figure4.491% above
Parks per 10k90.0below (median 10.2)
Playgrounds per 10k90.0below (median 9.4)
Grocery stores per 10k90.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k90.0below (median 11.2)
Libraries per 10k90.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails95.7185% above
Transit stops per sq mi94.8above (median 0.2)
National Register listings10County figure67above (median 13)
06

Safety, weather and risk

Good air days is 93.2%, 36% above the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Northwest Ithaca. Larger places are fetched first.

Good air days14
93.2%
36% above the median place
July average high12
80°F
8% below the median place
Average temperature12
47°F
15% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureNorthwest IthacaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high12County figure80°F8% below
January average low12County figure15°F40% below
Average temperature12County figure47°F15% below
Annual precipitation12County figure39.9 in9% below
Natural hazard risk13County figure73.920% below
Hurricane risk13County figure64.59% below
Tornado risk13County figure59.028% below
Wildfire risk13County figure22.264% below
Heat wave risk13County figure47.947% below
Median air quality index14County figure3519% below
Good air days14County figure93.2%36% above
08

Northwest Ithaca in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 26% of the median income in 2030, up from 25% 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$1,185/mo (2024)$1,500/mo$1,230 to $1,830/mo+4.0%
Median household income$56,753 (2024)$68,000$57,500 to $80,500+3.1%
Median home value$312,900 (2024)$440,000$319,000 to $606,000+5.8%

The median home would be worth 6.5 years of the median income in 2030, against 5.5 now.

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

09

Places like Northwest Ithaca

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

PlaceRentIncome
Douglass Hills, KY$1,353$78,482Compare
Shrewsbury, MO$1,215$80,757Compare
Brighton, MI$1,198$80,682Compare
Aiken, SC$1,180$76,746Compare
Aiken, SCBrighton, MIShrewsbury, MODouglass Hills, KYNorthwest Ithaca, NYNorthwest IthacaDouglass HillsShrewsburyBrightonAikenNorthwest IthacaDouglass HillsShrewsburyBrightonAiken

Common questions

Is Northwest Ithaca 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 90 hours a year commuting, less than in 97% of the 2,101 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the 3rd-lowest of 331 New York places. Household income has grown -4.6% a year across the last five survey releases, slower than in 99% of places its size. On cost, space and class size it scores 1 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Northwest Ithaca expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 25.1% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $312,900.

What salary do you need to live in Northwest Ithaca?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $47,400 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Northwest Ithaca?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Douglass Hills, KY, Shrewsbury, MO, Brighton, MI and Aiken, SC.

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. 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.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  11. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  12. 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
  13. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  14. 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); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

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

Citytistics. “Northwest Ithaca, New York.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/northwest-ithaca-new-york/

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