Tompkins County, New York Income Statistics
Tompkins County Wealth Score
The wealth index reflects the overall economic prosperity and financial well-being of a county's residents based on income levels, employment rates, and income inequality metrics.
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C
Tompkins County Below averageLess wealthy than 77% of counties in New York
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Tompkins County | New York Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $74,388 | $86,556 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $64,360 | $70,316 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 4.0% | 4.5% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 12.8% | 16.7% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 11.9% | 17.1% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Tompkins County is about 14% lower than in New York. Income has been growing slower in Tompkins County (4.0%/yr) than in New York (4.5%/yr).
About 13% of adults in Tompkins County earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, lower than the New York average of 17%.
Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income in Tompkins County, New York grew by 59.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $74,388 in 2024. That's an average of about 4.0% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Tompkins County
| Metric | Tompkins County | New York Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.596 | 0.557 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $72,625 | $77,531 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $61,731 | $67,892 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 15.0% | 12.4% | 18.4% |
The Gini coefficient measures how evenly income is shared between richer and poorer households, from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns nearly everything). The lower the number, the more equally income is distributed. In Tompkins County, it is 0.596, higher than New York's 0.557, so income is less evenly distributed here than there, and higher than the US's 0.552, so income is less evenly distributed here than there.
Men's income is about 18% more than women's income in Tompkins County, New York. Over a 35-year career, a 18% wage gap accumulates to roughly $381,290 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Tompkins County, New York has narrowed from about 16% to 15% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 21% in 2015, and was narrowest at 13% in 2018. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $3,227 since 2009.
Employment
| Metric | Tompkins County | New York Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 5.5% | 6.4% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 20.0% | 15.0% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 17 | 28 | 22 |
Approximately 2,920 people are unemployed in Tompkins County, New York.
The average commute time in Tompkins County is 17 minutes, shorter than the 28 minutes in New York.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Tompkins County, New York has fallen from 5.6% to 5.5% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 5.9% in 2015 and fell as low as 3.8% in 2019.
Tompkins County, NY Wealth Compared With Nearby Counties
Tompkins County, NY is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 103,844 residents against a local median of 46,246. Tompkins County, NY's income inequality, at 0.596, runs 15% above the 0.518 typical of the counties around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves sit within 0.028 of each other on income inequality, a tighter band than the gap between any of them and Tompkins County, NY, which makes it a genuine outlier here rather than one end of a wide local spread. Tompkins County, NY has the 6th lowest income inequality of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Income growthAverage yearly change in median household income since 2016. Each year is measured in its own dollars, so this is growth before inflation. | Unemployment | Income inequalityGini coefficient: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 that a single household earns everything. The lower the number, the more equally income is shared here. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tompkins County, NY | 103,844 | $74,388 #1/6 | 4.0%/yr #2/6 | 5.5% #4/6 | 0.596 #6/6 |
| Tioga County, NY | 47,858 | $72,215 | 2.8%/yr | 5.5% | 0.518 |
| Schuyler County, NY | 17,562 | $68,351 | 4.7%/yr | 6.5% | 0.507 |
| Chemung County, NY | 82,147 | $64,821 | 3.4%/yr | 6.1% | 0.530 |
| Cortland County, NY | 46,246 | $69,777 | 3.9%/yr | 4.6% | 0.535 |
| Seneca County, NY | 32,919 | $67,623 | 3.9%/yr | 4.5% | 0.517 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Tompkins County, New York has an overall wealth index grade of C, making it somewhat worse than New York, and about on par with the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in Tompkins County, New York.
How Rich Is Tompkins County, New York?
Tompkins County has a wealth index grade of C. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; a C grade means residents are close to the U.S. average. The median household income is $74,388, about 14% lower than the New York average of $86,556.
How fast is household income rising in Tompkins County, New York?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Tompkins County, New York rose 59%, from $46,757 to $74,388. Over the same years, income here outpaced New York as a whole: +59% against +56%.
What was the median household income in Tompkins County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Tompkins County, New York was $73,267, up 5% from $69,969 in 2022. The New York median that year was $85,199.
What was the median household income in Tompkins County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Tompkins County, New York was $61,441. By 2024 it had risen 21% to $74,388.
What is the Gini coefficient in Tompkins County, New York?
The Gini coefficient in Tompkins County is 0.596. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is higher than the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed less equally than in the country overall.
How has the income gap between men and women changed in Tompkins County, New York?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Tompkins County, New York has narrowed from about 16% to 15% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 21% in 2015, and was narrowest at 13% in 2018. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $3,227 since 2009.
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