Jobs, pay and daily life in Ithaca, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Ithaca is a city in New York with 32,814 residents. The median household earns $48,784 a year and the median rent is $1,447 a month, which is 35.6% of the median household income. It is part of the Ithaca, NY metropolitan area, where BLS counts 47,980 jobs.
How Ithaca compares. Among the 120 largest places in New York, Ithaca is #37 by population, #118 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #114 for household income (#1 = highest), #9 for college degrees (#1 = most). Its county, Tompkins County, is #11 of 62 counties for average pay ($69,770).
Ithaca has 32,814 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.2% of the population of New York. It covers 5 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 6,089 people per square mile. The median age is 23.3, 41% younger than the state median (23.3 against 39.8).
The median gross rent is $1,447 a month (rent plus utilities), 11% below the state median ($1,447 against $1,621). Over a year that is 35.6% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so rent here is above that line for the typical household. The median home value is $342,700, which is 7.0 times the median household income ($48,784); a ratio above 5 usually means buying is out of reach without savings or a second income. 29.6% of households own their home, 46% below the state average (29.6% against 54.4%). A low ownership share points to a rental-heavy market with more apartments and shorter stays.
The Ithaca, NY metropolitan area has 47,980 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $58,130 a year, 14% above the national median ($58,130 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are educational instruction and library (7,650 jobs, median $77,820); office and administrative support (6,670 jobs, median $48,430); healthcare practitioners and technical (4,090 jobs, median $104,450). The area is most specialised in educational instruction and library (2.7 times) and office and administrative support (1.2 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are educational instruction and library ($77,820) and office and administrative support ($48,430). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Tompkins County was 4.4%. 52.4% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Tompkins County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 29.9% drive alone, 9.1% use public transit, 25.7% walk, 24.7% work from home. 6.4% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 77% below the state average (6.4% against 27.4%). Remote work is more common than in the state as a whole, which widens the set of employers a resident can work for without moving.
67.7% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 68% above the state share (67.7% against 40.2%). 20.1% of residents were born outside the United States, 12% below the state share (20.1% against 22.8%). The poverty rate is 30.4%, 117% above the state rate (30.4% against 14.0%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 70°F (21.3°C), and the coolest is Jan at 22°F (-5.8°C). About 1,071 mm (42 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jun is the wettest month (112 mm) and Jan the driest (63 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Cortland (20 miles, rent 33% lower); Elmira (29 miles, rent 37% lower); Auburn (34 miles, rent 38% lower); Binghamton (38 miles, rent 40% lower). Rent differences are against Ithaca; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in New York (1,186) →State guide: New YorkCountry guideTompkins CountyNew York rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 1,186 federal postings open in New York (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in New York →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,140 | 16.69 | $159,720 | $81,890 | $376,740 | +49% |
| General and Operations Managers | 770 | 0.71 | $103,220 | $52,080 | $228,260 | -2% |
| Registered Nurses | 940 | 0.90 | $100,320 | $73,920 | $123,380 | +3% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | 550 | 1.24 | $73,640 | $51,940 | $93,170 | +6% |
| Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants | 590 | 4.13 | $69,310 | $62,120 | $85,930 | -10% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 600 | 1.27 | $48,870 | $38,760 | $75,490 | -1% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 900 | 1.70 | $47,990 | $38,970 | $60,310 | +1% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 620 | 0.89 | $46,090 | $32,410 | $78,100 | +31% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 650 | 0.81 | $45,390 | $34,510 | $63,110 | +1% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 780 | 0.59 | $39,220 | $35,260 | $48,880 | +10% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 670 | 0.77 | $38,810 | $33,780 | $49,050 | +4% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 840 | 1.23 | $38,060 | $33,880 | $53,820 | +3% |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 690 | 1.57 | $37,420 | $32,240 | $48,720 | +2% |
| Office Clerks, General | 860 | 1.14 | $37,380 | $32,240 | $59,270 | -17% |
| Retail Salespersons | 1,170 | 0.97 | $35,510 | $32,240 | $47,610 | +0% |
| Cashiers | 810 | 0.85 | $35,470 | $32,240 | $40,510 | +8% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 870 | 0.73 | $34,800 | $32,240 | $41,900 | +12% |
These figures are for the whole Ithaca, NY metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $58,130 (US $50,980); unemployment 4.4% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 53.7% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 13.0% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 11.9% |
| Retail trade | 6.4% |
| Manufacturing | 3.2% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 2.3% |
| Other services | 2.2% |
| Public administration | 1.8% |
| Construction | 1.6% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 1.5% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.1% |
| Information | 1.0% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.4% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Ithaca lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tompkins County | 104,537 | $7,966 million | $76,205 | 48,051 | 2,766 | $69,770 | +1.6% | 4.4% | 49,562 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 4,311 | 21.1% | $37,745 | 0.90 |
| Accommodation and food services | 3,403 | 16.6% | $28,871 | 0.78 |
| Manufacturing | 2,472 | 12.1% | $78,435 | 0.63 |
| Professional and technical services | 2,394 | 11.7% | $96,555 | 0.72 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 1,651 | 8.1% | $38,627 | 1.14 |
| Finance and insurance | 1,030 | 5.0% | $104,514 | 0.53 |
| Administrative and waste services | 973 | 4.8% | $69,839 | 0.34 |
| Construction | 923 | 4.5% | $63,773 | 0.37 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 851 | 4.2% | $58,710 | 0.42 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 575 | 2.8% | $25,413 | 0.71 |
| Real estate and rental | 543 | 2.7% | $52,121 | 0.73 |
| Management of companies | 435 | 2.1% | $84,836 | 0.54 |
| Wholesale trade | 390 | 1.9% | $72,128 | 0.21 |
| Information | 331 | 1.6% | $83,144 | 0.37 |
| Utilities | 192 | 0.9% | $150,060 | 1.05 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 29.9% |
| Public transit | 9.1% |
| Walk | 25.7% |
| Work from home | 24.7% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 6.4% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $48,784 |
| Income per person | $31,599 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,447 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 35.6% |
| Median home value | $342,700 |
| Homeowners | 29.6% |
| Poverty rate | 30.4% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 103.3 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $58,130 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 10.90%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 23.3 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 94.5% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 67.7% |
| Born abroad | 20.1% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 52.4% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -5.8 | 22 | 63 |
| Feb | -5.1 | 23 | 63 |
| Mar | -0.5 | 31 | 74 |
| Apr | 6.4 | 44 | 86 |
| May | 13.4 | 56 | 93 |
| Jun | 18.4 | 65 | 112 |
| Jul | 21.3 | 70 | 107 |
| Aug | 20.5 | 69 | 107 |
| Sep | 16.6 | 62 | 102 |
| Oct | 9.5 | 49 | 108 |
| Nov | 3.0 | 37 | 74 |
| Dec | -2.5 | 28 | 82 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cortland | NY | 20 mi | 17,450 | $59,482 | $975 |
| Elmira | NY | 29 mi | 26,257 | $43,120 | $909 |
| Auburn | NY | 34 mi | 26,285 | $51,052 | $897 |
| Binghamton | NY | 38 mi | 47,151 | $45,578 | $870 |
| Syracuse | NY | 45 mi | 146,384 | $47,819 | $1,039 |
| Oswego | NY | 70 mi | 17,033 | $53,172 | $1,109 |
| Brighton | NY | 72 mi | 36,834 | $85,467 | $1,350 |
| Rome | NY | 75 mi | 31,795 | $59,925 | $909 |
| Rochester | NY | 76 mi | 208,772 | $47,213 | $1,081 |
| Irondequoit | NY | 76 mi | 50,657 | $79,162 | $1,159 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
32,814 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,447 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 35.6% of the median household income.
$48,784 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
4.4% (BLS county, Tompkins County (latest month 2026M09)).
New York. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.