CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

42.53° N · 76.50° W · GEOID 3669342

South Lansing

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

Limited data population under 5,000, core figures borrowed from county or metro: median_gross_rent

New YorkSouth Lansing, NYSouth LansingSouth Lansing

The short answer

South Lansing is home to 1,496 people. Median household income is $162,846 a year and median rent is $1,411 a month, 10.4% 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 $350,400, about 2.1x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$1,411
3% above the median place
Median household income
$162,846
103% above the median place
Median home value
$350,400
10% 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 South Lansing

  • Between the 2020 and 2023 surveys, household income rose 38.1% a year while rent rose 16.5%, so pay gained on rent more than in 99% of the 2,476 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 340 New York places.
  • The median rent takes only 10.4% of the median household's income, a smaller share than in 98% of places its size. It is the 3rd-lowest of 340 New York places.
  • The median resident is 30.5 years old, younger than in 94% of places its size.
  • The median household earns $162,846 a year, more than in 93% of places its size.
  • The median home is worth 2.1 years of the median household's income, fewer than in 92% of places its size.
01

Moving to South Lansing

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
$56,400 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,411 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $3,019 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $350,400.
Getting to work
20 minutes each way on average; 9.6% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Bondurant, IA 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
MeasureSouth LansingAmong 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

Vacant homes is 0.0%, below the median place (median 7.1%).

South Lansing10.4%
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
$56,440
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
10.4%
49% below the median place
Home price to income
2.1x
43% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
10%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$148,800
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in South Lansing, $1,411 a month, and local prices for everything else (98.2 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in South Lansing.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to South Lansing? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Vacant homes1
0.0%
below the median place (median 7.1%)
Property tax rate1
2.2%
146% above the median place
Property tax paid (median)1
$7,865
141% above the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureSouth LansingAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1County figure$1,4113% above
Rent to income110.4%49% below
Property tax rate12.2%146% above
Home price to income12.1x43% 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$7,865141% above
Median home value1$350,40010% above
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure6.7%111% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure56.0%9% above
Homeownership159.8%10% below
Renters paying 30%+1County figure58.6%16% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$3,01961% above
Vacant homes10.0%below (median 7.1%)
Median year built119860% 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%)
Median household income1
$162,846
103% above the median place
Works from home1
9.6%
23% below the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureSouth LansingAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$162,846103% above
Income per person1$44,65811% 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 rate1County figure16.4%52% above
Mean commute1County figure20 min19% below
Works from home19.6%23% below
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

No health insurance is 0.0%, below the median place (median 6.4%).

No health insurance1
0.0%
below the median place (median 6.4%)
Median age1
30.5
22% below the median place
High school or higher1
97.3%
5% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Household size2.9 +16%
Bachelor's or higher45.8% +43%
Homes with broadband91.8% −1%
All 8 people measures
MeasureSouth LansingAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population11,4966646th largest
Median age130.522% below
Bachelor's or higher145.8%43% above
High school or higher197.3%5% above
Household size12.916% above
Born abroad1County figure12.9%47% above
No health insurance10.0%below (median 6.4%)
Homes with broadband191.8%1% below
05

Life in South Lansing

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 10k13.4 +42%
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k46.8 4.2×
Libraries per 10k6.7 7.7×
Named paths and bike trails5 km 2.6×
Bus and rail stops per sq mi2.5 12.1×

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
MeasureSouth LansingAmong 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 10k913.442% above
Grocery stores per 10k90.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k946.8320% above
Libraries per 10k96.7above (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails95.3165% above
Transit stops per sq mi92.5above (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 South Lansing. 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
MeasureSouth LansingAmong 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

South Lansing in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 9% of the median income in 2030, down from 10% 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$1,363/mo (2023)$1,920/mo$1,550 to $2,380/mo+5.0%
Median household income$162,846 (2023)$246,000$205,000 to $295,000+6.1%
Median home value$350,400 (2024)$487,000$354,000 to $671,000+5.7%

The median home would be worth 2.0 years of the median income in 2030, against 2.2 now.

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

09

Places like South Lansing

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

PlaceRentIncome
Bondurant, IA$1,337$135,674Compare
New Lenox, IL$1,431$140,865Compare
Tea, SD$1,220$120,139Compare
South Weber, UT$1,469$138,600Compare
South Weber, UTTea, SDNew Lenox, ILBondurant, IASouth Lansing, NYSouth LansingBondurantNew LenoxTeaSouth WeberSouth LansingBondurantNew LenoxTeaSouth Weber

Common questions

Is South Lansing a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Between the 2020 and 2023 surveys, household income rose 38.1% a year while rent rose 16.5%, so pay gained on rent more than in 99% of the 2,476 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 340 New York places. The median rent takes only 10.4% of the median household's income, a smaller share than in 98% of places its size. It is the 3rd-lowest of 340 New York places. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is South Lansing expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 10.4% 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 $350,400.

What salary do you need to live in South Lansing?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $56,440 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to South Lansing?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Bondurant, IA, New Lenox, IL, Tea, SD and South Weber, UT.

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 South Lansing with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for South Lansing itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/south-lansing-new-york

Citytistics. “South Lansing, New York.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/south-lansing-new-york/

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