Is Cortland, NY a Good Place to Live?
Cortland is a small city of 17,574 in New York, with a median household income of $55,042 and a 6.5% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 95 (US average = 100), which is 5% below the national average.
Strengths: Cortland stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (B+), short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Cortland is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Cortland city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 95.3Cortland's overall cost of living index is 95.3, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Cortland costs roughly 5% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Cortland, NY | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $131,000 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $871 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 44.4% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $55,042 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Safer than AverageCortland's violent crime rate is 226.8 per 100,000 residents — 40% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Cortland is served primarily by CORTLAND CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT. The student-to-teacher ratio is 10.9:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Cortland, NY | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | CORTLAND CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT | — |
| Elementary Schools | 2 | — |
| Middle Schools | 2 | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 10.9:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 27.1% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 89.1% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Cortland sees average highs of 29.8°F in January and 79.3°F in July, with 42.0 inches of annual precipitation and 64.4 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Cortland, NY |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 29.8°F |
| Average High — July | 79.3°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 42.0" |
| Annual Snowfall | 64.4" |
Demographics
| Metric | Cortland, NY | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 17,574 | — |
| Median Age | 27.1 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 6.5% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 16.6 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 89.0% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 4.0% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 3.2% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 1.6% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 14.0% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 12.9% | 16.8% |