Cortland, NY

Census Place

2024 Population

17,450

US Senator

Chuck Schumer

Democratic Party

US Senator

Kirsten Gillibrand

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

27.4

0.735% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

20.8%

5.4% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$59,482

7.43% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$152,600

Population & Diversity

Cortland, NY is home to a population of 17.5k people, from which 99% are citizens.

As of 2024, 3.32% of Cortland, NY residents were born outside of the country (580 people).

In 2024, there were 25.3 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (14.9k people) in Cortland, NY than any other race or ethnicity. There were 590 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 504 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99%

2024 Citizenship

99%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 99% of Cortland, NY residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Cortland, NY was 99%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Cortland, NY compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Cortland, NY

White (Non-Hispanic)
14.9k ± 337
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
590 ± 148
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
504 ± 130

5.55%

Hispanic Population

968 people

5.55% of the people in Cortland, NY are hispanic (968 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Cortland, NY as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for New York.

Most Common Origin

Dominican Republic
492,198 ± 17,010 people
China
414,597 ± 15,642 people
Jamaica
229,554 ± 11,695 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of New York was Dominican Republic, the natal country of 492,198 New York residents, followed by China with 414,597 and Jamaica with 229,554.

Foreign-Born Population

3.32%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

580 people

3.13%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

547 people

As of 2024, 3.32% of Cortland, NY residents (580 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Cortland, NY was 3.13%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Cortland, NY compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
146 ± 64
Gulf War (2001-)
139 ± 101
Gulf War (1990s)
120 ± 61

Cortland, NY has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.05 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Cortland, NY.

Economy

The economy of Cortland, NY employs 8.69k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Cortland, NY were Health Care & Social Assistance (1,526 people), Educational Services (1,362 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (1,264 people), and the highest paying industries were Information ($64,545), Public Administration ($61,500), and Manufacturing ($55,938).

Employment

Occupations

8.69k

2024 Value

± 700

1.23%

1 Year growth

± 11.3%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Cortland, NY grew at a rate of 1.23%, from 8.59k employees to 8.69k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Cortland, NY, are Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (1,034 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (919 people), and Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (874 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Cortland, NY.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for New York.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in New York (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

8.69k

2024 Value

± 700

1.23%

1 Year growth

± 11.3%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Cortland, NY grew at a rate of 1.23%, from 8.59k employees to 8.69k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Cortland, NY, are Health Care & Social Assistance (1,526 people), Educational Services (1,362 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (1,264 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Cortland, NY, though some of these residents may live in Cortland, NY and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$38,414

Median earning men ± $4,559

$30,938

Median earning women ± $5,413

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Information ($73,558), Public Administration ($71,250), and Manufacturing ($56,545).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($90,724), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($60,446), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($50,354).

Education

The student population of Cortland, NY in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 3,058 male students and 3,880 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Cortland, NY are White (1,412 and 78.7%), Hispanic or Latino (199 and 11.1%), Black or African American (78 and 4.35%), and Two or More Races (42 and 2.34%).

The largest universities in Cortland, NY by number of degrees awarded are State University of New York at Cortland (1,803 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Cortland, NY are Elementary Education & Teaching (168 and 9.32%), Physical Education Teaching & Coaching (164 and 9.1%), and Kinesiology & Exercise Science (143 and 7.93%).

The median tuition cost for a public four year colleges is $7,070 for in-state students and $16,980 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2024 in Cortland, NY, the percentage of applicants admitted was 59.8%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 13.3%. The number of students enrolled in 2024 was 6,938 (44.1% men and 55.9% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2024 there were 6,938 students enrolled in Cortland, NY, 44.1% men and 55.9% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 5,365 records, of which 57.1% were women and 42.9% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Elementary Education & Teaching
155 degrees awarded
Physical Education Teaching & Coaching
150 degrees awarded
Kinesiology & Exercise Science
140 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Cortland, NY was Elementary Education & Teaching with 155 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Cortland, NY according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

State University of New York at Cortland

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

1,803 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was State University of New York at Cortland with 1,803 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2024, 720 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Cortland, NY, which is 0.665 times less than the 1,083 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 1,412 degrees mean that there were 7.1 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 199 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Public, 4-year or above ($7,070) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,804) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,200) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Cortland, NY was $152,600 in 2024, which is 0.459 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $143,800 to $152,600, a 6.12% increase. The homeownership rate in Cortland, NY is 45.9%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Cortland, NY have an average commute time of 16.8 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Cortland, NY is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$152,600

Median Property Value 2024

±$5,699

$3,221

Median Property Taxes

±$363

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Cortland, NY the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Cortland, NY compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

45.9%

Homeownership

2024

69.2%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 45.9% of the housing units in Cortland, NY were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 44.6%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Cortland, NY compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$59,482

Median Household Income

± $3,769

7.02k

Number of Households

± 613

In 2024, the median household income of the 7.02k households in Cortland, NY grew to $59,482 from the previous year's value of $55,368.

The following chart displays the households in Cortland, NY distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Cortland, NY is from New York.

0.492

2024 Wage GINI in New York

0.493

2023 Wage GINI in New York

In 2024, the income inequality in New York was 0.492 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.301% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for New York was higher than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed less evenly in New York in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in New York across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (65.6%)
Carpooled (14.1%)
Walked (10.3%)

In 2024, 65.6% of workers in Cortland, NY drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (14.1%) and those who walked to work (10.3%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

16.8 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Cortland, NY have a shorter commute time (16.8 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 0.435% of the workforce in Cortland, NY have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Cortland, NY compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Cortland, NY distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Cortland, NY have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

20.8% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Cortland, NY (3k out of 14.4k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 18 - 24, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Males 45 - 54.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Cortland, NY is White, followed by Hispanic and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798, followed by New York (5,087).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

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