Cortland County, New York Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Cortland County, NY Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
A
Health Above averageHealthier than 79% of counties in New York
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C
Income Below averageLess wealthy than 72% of counties in New York
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C
Education Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Cortland County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 46,246 | 19,748,855 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 92.3 | 362.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.65% | 0.05% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.0 | 38.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 18,999 | 7,694,043 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Cortland County declined by 4.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 46,246 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Cortland County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 28.8% of residents. That is 8.3 points above New York as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 13,308 28.8% +8.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 7,870 17.0% -5.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 9,071 19.6% -1.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 7,903 17.1% -0.3 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below New York, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.7% of the people living in Cortland County and men 49.3%.
- Women 50.7% New York 51.3%
- Men 49.3% New York 48.7%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Cortland County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Cortland County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Cortland County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $69,777 | $86,556 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.95% | 4.51% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.6% | 6.4% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Cortland County is about 19% lower than in New York.
Housing
| Metric | Cortland County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $139,484 | $471,885 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $983 | $1,621 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 66.3% | 54.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Cortland County is about 11.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $983 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Cortland County spend about 36 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 152 hours, about 6.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Cortland County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.2 | 28.7 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 36.4 | 57.4 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 152 | 239 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,701 | $7,414 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.8% | 15.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,680 | 9,257 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 432 | 1,586 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
New York:
Hamilton County (13.6 min), Chautauqua County (15.4 min), Franklin County (16.4 min).
Slowest:
Bronx County (43.2 min), Queens County (41.8 min), Kings County (41.6 min).
The average commute time in Cortland County is 18 minutes, shorter than the 29 minutes in New York.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Cortland County has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Cortland County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.6% | 36.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.24 | 2.49 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
New York:
New York County (0.5), Tompkins County (0.4), Westchester County (0.4).
Lowest:
Bronx County (0.2), Orleans County (0.2), Hamilton County (0.2).
Health
Cortland County has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | Cortland County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.2 | 80.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.3% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.1% | 17.4% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
New York:
Tompkins County (0.8), Nassau County (0.8), New York County (0.8).
Lowest:
Bronx County (0.8), Montgomery County (0.8), Cattaraugus County (0.8).
Cortland County, NY Compared With Nearby Counties
Cortland County, NY is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 46,246 residents against a local median of 103,844. Cortland County, NY's median home price, at $139,484, runs 26% above the $110,767 typical of the counties around it.
The counties themselves spread $71,350 on median home price, so Cortland County, NY sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Cortland County, NY has the 2nd highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cortland County, NY | 46,246 | $69,777 #4/6 | $139,484 #2/6 | 18.2 min #4/6 |
| Tompkins County, NY | 103,844 | $74,388 | $116,927 | 17.5 min |
| Onondaga County, NY | 470,361 | $77,376 | $150,980 | 18.1 min |
| Chenango County, NY | 46,321 | $63,798 | $79,630 | 18.7 min |
| Tioga County, NY | 47,858 | $72,215 | $86,426 | 21.4 min |
| Broome County, NY | 197,289 | $63,938 | $110,767 | 16.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Cortland County, New York.
How many people live in Cortland County, New York?
About 46,246 people live in Cortland County, New York, in 18,999 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 38.0, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Cortland County, New York mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Cortland County, New York has 92 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Cortland County, New York?
The median home costs 2.0 times the median household income ($139,484 against $69,777), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $983 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Cortland County, New York?
23.6% of adults in Cortland County, New York hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 4), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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