Tompkins County, New York Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Tompkins 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 Top gradeHealthiest county in New York
-
C
Income Below averageLess wealthy than 77% of counties in New York
-
A+
Education Top gradeAmong the top 3 best educated counties in New York
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Tompkins County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 103,844 | 19,748,855 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 211.4 | 362.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.04% | 0.05% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 33.7 | 38.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 42,967 | 7,694,043 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Tompkins County grew by 3.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 103,844 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Tompkins County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 36.8% of residents. That is 16.3 points above New York as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 38,261 36.8% +16.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 18,473 17.8% -4.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 17,136 16.5% -4.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 15,751 15.2% -2.2 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 50.9% of the people living in Tompkins County and men 49.1%.
- Women 50.9% New York 51.3%
- Men 49.1% New York 48.7%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Tompkins County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Tompkins County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Tompkins County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $74,388 | $86,556 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.03% | 4.51% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.5% | 6.4% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Tompkins County is about 14% lower than in New York.
Housing
| Metric | Tompkins County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $116,927 | $471,885 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,408 | $1,621 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 54.2% | 54.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Tompkins County is about 6.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,408 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Tompkins County spend about 35 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 146 hours, about 6.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Tompkins County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.5 | 28.7 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 35.0 | 57.4 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 146 | 239 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,518 | $7,414 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 20.0% | 15.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,776 | 9,257 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,326 | 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 Tompkins County is 17 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
Tompkins County has a education index of A+, which means it is exceptionally educated.
| Metric | Tompkins County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 45.4% | 36.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.05 | 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
Tompkins County has a health index of A+, which means it is exceptionally healthy.
| Metric | Tompkins County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.3 | 80.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 9.1% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 13.5% | 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).
Tompkins County, NY Compared With Nearby Counties
Tompkins County, NY is the largest of the 5 counties compared here, 103,844 residents against a local median of 47,052. There is no headline here. Every measure below sits within 15% of the median across the nearest counties, which makes Tompkins County, NY an unremarkable member of its own neighbourhood rather than an outlier in it.
The largest of those small differences is median household income, 8% above the local median at $74,388 against $68,700. Tompkins County, NY has the highest median household income of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tompkins County, NY | 103,844 | $74,388 #1/5 | $116,927 #3/5 | 17.5 min #3/5 |
| Tioga County, NY | 47,858 | $72,215 | $86,426 | 21.4 min |
| Chemung County, NY | 82,147 | $64,821 | $88,571 | 16.9 min |
| Cortland County, NY | 46,246 | $69,777 | $139,484 | 18.2 min |
| Seneca County, NY | 32,919 | $67,623 | $138,541 | 17.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Tompkins County, New York.
What is the population of Tompkins County, New York?
About 103,844 people live in Tompkins County, New York, in 42,967 households of 2.0 people on average. The median age is 33.7, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
How densely populated is Tompkins County, New York?
Averaged over its land area, Tompkins County, New York has 211 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 2.4 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Tompkins County, New York an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 1.6 times the median household income ($116,927 against $74,388), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,408 a month takes about 23% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Tompkins County, New York have a college degree?
45.4% of adults in Tompkins County, New York hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 2), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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