Ithaca is a medium-sized city located in the state of New York. With a population of 32,870 people and 18 associated neighborhoods, Ithaca is the 41st largest community in New York. Much of the housing stock in Ithaca was built prior to World War II, making it one of the older and more historic cities in the country. Housing costs in Ithaca are among some of the highest in the nation, although real estate prices here don't compare to real estate prices in the most expensive communities in New York.Ithaca is a decidedly white-collar city, with fully 93.62% of the workforce employed in white-collar jobs, well above the national average. Overall, Ithaca is a city of professionals, service providers, and sales and office workers. There are especially a lot of people living in Ithaca who work in teaching (22.09%), food service (10.52%), and office and administrative support (9.30%). And if you like science, one thing you'll find is that Ithaca has lots of scientists living in town - whether they be life scientists, physical scientists (like astronomers), or social scientists (like geographers!). So, if you're scientific-minded, you might like it here too. Also of interest is that Ithaca has more people living here who work in computers and math than 95% of the places in the US. Of important note, Ithaca is also a city of artists. Ithaca has more artists, designers and people working in media than 90% of the communities in America. This concentration of artists helps shape Ithaca’s character. Telecommuters are a relatively large percentage of the workforce: 23.24% of people work from home. While this number may seem small overall, as a fraction of the total workforce it is high relative to the nation. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes. Because Ithaca has a very large number of students who are 18 years or older and in college, it is thought of as a college town. This has a major influence on local Ithaca lifestyle, entertainment, and culture in general. Life in Ithaca is very much tied to the academic calendar: when students return from the summer break in the fall, one will notice them out and about, buying groceries, out with friends, and generally getting re-acquainted with each other. In Ithaca people study hard and play hard, and there is ample opportunity to do both. A lot of people in Ithaca take the bus for their daily commute. For the size of the city, the number of people who use public transportation is quite high. For many people in Ithaca, this fills their need for low-cost transportation.If knowledge is power, Ithaca is a pretty powerful place. 69.41% of the adults in Ithaca have earned a 4-year college degree, masters degree, MD, law degree, or even PhD. Compare that to the national average of 21.84% for all cities and towns. The per capita income in Ithaca in 2022 was $28,566, which is low income relative to New York, and lower middle income relative to the rest of the US. This equates to an annual income of $114,264 for a family of four. However, Ithaca contains both very wealthy and poor people as well. Ithaca also has one of the higher rates of people living in poverty in the nation, with 33.06% of its population below the federal poverty line.Ithaca is an extremely ethnically-diverse city. The people who call Ithaca home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Ithaca residents report their race to be White, followed by Asian. Important ancestries of people in Ithaca include Irish, German, English, Italian, and Polish. Foreign born people are also an important part of Ithaca's cultural character, accounting for 19.69% of the city’s population. The most common language spoken in Ithaca is English. Other important languages spoken here include Chinese and Spanish.
