Tompkins County, New York Demographics 2026

Name: Tompkins County, New York Demographics
Creator: U.S. Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

Tompkins County, New York has a population of 104,537, the 28th most populous county in New York. The median household income is $74,024 and the median home value is $290,900. The poverty rate is 16.4%.

Data vintage: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates · refreshed July 2026 · Methodology & source notes

Tompkins County Quick Facts

Population 104,537

Median Household Income $74,024

Median Home Value $290,900

Poverty Rate 16.4%

Unemployment Rate 5.5%

Median Age 32.3 years

Homeownership Rate 54.1%

Affordability Ratio 3.9x

Bachelor's Degree+ 58.8%

High School Graduation 95.5%

Cities/Places 21

Population 104,537 28th of 62

Median Income $74,024 14% lower than state

Poverty Rate 16.4%

Unemployment 5.5%

How Tompkins County Changed

Change from the 2019–2023 ACS period to 2020–2024. These are rolling five-year estimates, not year-over-year measurements.

Metric	2019–2023	2020–2024	Change
Population	102,879	104,537	+1.6%
Median household income	$73,012	$74,024	+1.4%
Median home value	$271,500	$290,900	+7.1%

Median Household Income

Tompkins

$74,024

$85,974

National

$80,734

Median Home Value

Tompkins

$290,900

$423,800

National

$332,700

Economy & Housing

Household Income Distribution

Under $25K 16.9%

$25K-$50K 19.1%

$50K-$100K 26.7%

$100K+ 37.4%

Detailed income brackets

Under $10K

8.4%

$10K-$15K

3.4%

$15K-$20K

2.4%

$20K-$25K

2.6%

$25K-$30K

3.3%

$30K-$35K

3.3%

$35K-$40K

3.4%

$40K-$45K

4.7%

$45K-$50K

4.3%

$50K-$60K

6.0%

$60K-$75K

8.5%

$75K-$100K

12.2%

$100K-$125K

9.7%

$125K-$150K

6.3%

$150K-$200K

9.5%

$200K+

11.9%

Employment

5.5% Unemployment Rate State: 6.4%|National: 5.2%

58.4% Labor Force Participation

Housing Overview

Owner 54.1%

Renter 45.9%

Affordability Index Affordable

3.9x home value to income ratio

Median gross rent $1,411/mo 22.9% of median household income annually

People & Demographics

Age Distribution

Under 18

14.1%

18-34

38.8%

35-54

20.3%

55-74

20.2%

75+

6.6%

Race & Ethnicity

Diversity Index

Moderate Diversity

Moderate diversity with one or two groups making up the majority.

State average: 65 | National average: 61

Education

Educational Attainment (Adults 25+)

Cities & Places in Tompkins County

City	Population	Median Income	Poverty	Home Value
Ithaca	32,814	$48,784	30.4%	$342,700
South Hill	6,951	$104,211	12.7%	$353,800
Cayuga Heights	4,000	$166,526	11.2%	$433,000
Lansing	3,876	$72,364	23.6%	$516,900
Northeast Ithaca	2,661	$95,250	3.1%	$402,000
Northwest Ithaca	2,225	$56,753	17.8%	$312,900
East Ithaca	1,918	$116,410	7.3%	$332,700
Groton	1,834	$60,114	8.2%	$156,700
Dryden	1,671	$50,435	18.2%	$230,900
Trumansburg	1,665	$68,967	9.3%	$287,000
South Lansing	1,496	N/A	19.6%	$350,400
Forest Home	1,303	$59,018	10.8%	$499,300
Newfield	999	$96,875	7.4%	$151,500
Varna	687	$70,227	25.2%	N/A
Jacksonville	592	$72,361	0.7%	$214,600
Danby	540	$145,781	0.0%	$325,800
Freeville	458	$77,426	3.9%	$200,000
McLean	410	$75,962	8.3%	N/A
Brooktondale	327	N/A	24.2%	N/A
Slaterville Springs	130	$63,281	31.5%	N/A
West Danby	75	N/A	26.7%	N/A

Explore New York Rankings

Cities by Population All cities ranked by size Richest Cities Ranked by median income Most Educated By bachelor's degree rate Most Affordable By housing affordability

Population Overview

Tompkins County is located in New York with a total population of 104,537. It is the 28th most populous county out of 62 in New York. The county encompasses 21 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Tompkins County is 32.3 years. This is 19% lower than the state median of 39.8 years. Only 14.1% of residents are under 18, indicating fewer families with children.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Tompkins County is $74,024. This is 14% lower than the state median of $85,974. It is also 8% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 16.4%. This is 17% higher than the state poverty rate of 14.0%. The unemployment rate is 5.5%. This is 13% lower than the state rate of 6.4%. The median home value is $290,900. Housing costs are 31% lower than the state median of $423,800. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.9x. 54.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Tompkins County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 73.7% of the population. Asian residents account for 10.1%. The Black or African American population (3.6%) is well below the state average of 13.4%. The Hispanic or Latino population (6.6%) is well below the state average of 19.8%.

Education

58.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This places Tompkins County in the top 10% of all counties in the state for educational attainment. This is 46% higher than the state rate of 40.2%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 95.5%. Notably, 34.8% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Tompkins County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against New York and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the population of Tompkins County, New York?

Tompkins County has a population of 104,537, making it the 28th most populous county in New York.

What is the median income in Tompkins County?

The median household income in Tompkins County is $74,024 with a poverty rate of 16.4%.

How many cities are in Tompkins County, New York?

Tompkins County contains 21 Census-designated places.