Tompkins County > Ithaca (city)
Population trend for Ithaca
036,0001970: 26,22626,22619701980: 28,73228,73219801990: 29,54129,54119902000: 29,28729,28720002010: 30,01430,01420102020: 32,10832,10820202023: 31,79231,7922023
U.S. Census Bureau ACS, IPUMS

Ithaca is a city in Tompkins County, in the Southern Tier region.

Community anchors include Tompkins County government, Cornell University, Ithaca College, Cayuga Medical Center, Ithaca City School District and Tompkins County Public Library.

Because it is a college town, Ithaca census data might seem skewed. Students are counted where they spend most of their time. So a substantial college enrollment will affect the community's overall figures such as median age and poverty levels.

Please note: There are multiple places in Upstate New York named Ithaca: Ithaca (City, Tompkins County); Ithaca (Town, Tompkins County).

2023 Median income for Tompkins County communities
American Community Survey, 2023
2000
Tompkins County home price index (FHFA)
1976–2024: Home prices rose about 774%.

299 167 34 1976 2024

The numbers at left represent an index, not dollar prices. The index is set to 100 in the year 2000.

Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)
Occupied housing units in Ithaca
American Community Survey, 2023
Household types in Ithaca
Married-couple families: 3,085 (76.6%) Married-couple families Male householder (no spouse): 198 (4.9%) Male householder (no spouse) Female householder (no spouse): 747 (18.5%) Female householder (no spouse) Householder living alone: 5,875 (59.9%) Householder living alone Householder not living alone: 3,937 (40.1%) Householder not living alone Family Nonfamily
ACS, 2023
Poverty rates by age group in Ithaca

Pct 5 and under 21% Pct 6 to 17 16% Pct 18 to 64 32% Pct 65 and over 11%

The overall poverty rate in Ithaca is 28 percent.
The highest rate is found among residents ages 18 to 64.
Year: 2023

ACS, 2023

Where residents of Ithaca lived in the prior year

Same house: 17,227 (54.3%) Same county (different house): 4,105 (12.9%) Different NY county: 3,576 (11.3%) Different state: 5,626 (17.7%) Abroad: 1,166 (3.7%) 31,700 current residents Same house: 17,227 (54.3%) Same house Different state: 5,626 (17.7%) Different state Same county (different house): 4,105 (12.9%) Same county (different house) Different NY county: 3,576 (11.3%) Different NY county Abroad: 1,166 (3.7%) Abroad
U.S. Census ACS, 2023
Median age of Ithaca residents
22.6 21.8 22.1 23.6 2010 2015 2020 2023


The margin of error can be high in 2023 estimates, particularly for small towns and villages.

Changes in median age can also indicate a shift in the number of school-age children; see the Education page for enrollment trends.

U.S. Census Bureau