Syracuse, New York Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Syracuse, 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.
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B
Health Around average
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D
Income Well below average
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C
Education Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Syracuse | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 146,191 | 19,748,855 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 5701.4 | 362.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.17% | 0.05% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 33.3 | 38.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 59,696 | 7,694,043 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Syracuse grew by 4.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 146,191 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Syracuse is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 30.3% of residents. That is 9.8 points above New York as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 44,299 30.3% +9.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 30,726 21.0% -1.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 23,973 16.4% -4.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 19,867 13.6% -3.8 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 51.7% of the people living in Syracuse and men 48.3%.
- Women 51.7% New York 51.3%
- Men 48.3% New York 48.7%
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Economy
Syracuse has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Syracuse | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $47,787 | $86,556 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.71% | 4.51% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 7.7% | 6.4% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Syracuse is about 45% lower than in New York.
Housing
| Metric | Syracuse | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $143,128 | $471,885 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,039 | $1,621 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 41.6% | 54.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Syracuse is about 11.5 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,039 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Syracuse spend about 32 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 133 hours, about 5.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Syracuse | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 15.9 | 28.7 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 31.9 | 57.4 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 133 | 239 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,116 | $7,414 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 12.1% | 15.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 18,662 | 9,257 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,299 | 1,586 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Syracuse is 16 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
Syracuse has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Syracuse | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26.1% | 36.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.14 | 2.49 | 2.53 |
Health
Syracuse has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Syracuse | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.4 | 80.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 18.6% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 22.2% | 17.4% | 19.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Syracuse, New York.
How many people live in Syracuse, New York?
About 146,191 people live in Syracuse, New York, in 59,696 households of 2.1 people on average. The median age is 33.3, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
How densely populated is Syracuse, New York?
Averaged over its land area, Syracuse, New York has 5,701 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 66 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Syracuse, New York?
The median home costs 3.0 times the median household income ($143,128 against $47,787), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,039 a month takes about 26% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Syracuse, New York?
Unemployment in Syracuse, New York is 7.7%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
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