Guest, Sign inJoin
Compare towns

Northwest Ithaca vs Ithaca

Next-door neighbors. The biggest differences: street grid (9.2× in Ithaca) and size (14.7× in Ithaca).

N ×
Northwest Ithaca, NYA regional job hubNew York · 2,225 people
×
Ithaca, NYA history townNew York · 32,814 people
Swap order
Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

Northwest IthacaA regional job hub
Work2,402 jobsbased in Northwest Ithaca, a regional job hub All about Northwest Ithaca →
IthacaA history town
HistorySettled in 188829 places on the National Register Schools#37 for schools in NYof 484 towns Outdoors#54 most trails in NY10 miles of trails across 24 parks and preserves All about Ithaca →
The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Street grid9.2×
Ithaca has the more walkable street grid
Ithaca 96.3Northwest Ithaca 10.5
Size14.7×
Ithaca is the bigger place
Ithaca 32,814Northwest Ithaca 2,225
Growth since 2010+50.9 pts
Northwest Ithaca has grown faster since 2010
Northwest Ithaca +57.9%Ithaca +7%
Trails5×
Ithaca has more miles of trail
Ithaca 10.0 miNorthwest Ithaca 2.0 mi
Median age25.8 yrs
Northwest Ithaca skews older
Northwest Ithaca 49.1Ithaca 23.3
In college+49.6 pts
Ithaca is more of a college town
Ithaca 51.7%Northwest Ithaca 2.1%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $500 more a month in Ithaca

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Northwest Ithaca$2,040/mo
Typical home $313K (Census) · tax rate 1.52% · or rent about $1,185/mo · Housing →
Ithaca$2,540/mo
Typical home $343K (Census) · tax rate 2.60% · or rent about $1,447/mo · Housing →

The difference: $500 a month, about $6,000 a year, between Ithaca and Northwest Ithaca.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Where they are

Northwest Ithaca and Ithaca share a border

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

Northwest IthacaIthacaNorthwest IthacaIthaca
Northwest Ithaca ↔ Ithaca1.9 miles apart · They share a border
Who commutes between them
211 Northwest Ithaca residents work in Ithaca (24.9% of its workers)
Work & commute in Northwest Ithaca →
Report cards

Grades and rankings, side by side

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every New York ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety
–Northwest IthacaNot graded C−IthacaSafer than 18% of U.S. towns
Schools
–Northwest IthacaNot graded BIthacaBetter than 62% of districts in the state
Health
–Northwest IthacaNot graded AIthacaHealthier than 90% of U.S. towns
Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons
Northwest IthacaIthaca
Snow a year63″63″
January low15°F15°F
July high80°F80°F
Growing season (days)145d145d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)29th80th
Outdoors & history
Northwest IthacaIthaca
Trails2 mi10 mi
Conserved land7.2%13.6%
Settled—1888
National Register places—29
Archive photos—17
Famous people born here—59
Community
Northwest IthacaIthaca
Library hours a week—60 hrs
Colleges in town—1
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Northwest IthacaIthaca
People
Population 2,225Lowest 32,814Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +57.9%Highest NY: +4.2% +7%Lowest NY: +4.2%
Median age 49.1±5.3Highest 23% above NY 23.3±0.8Lowest 41% below NY
Kids under 18 21.1%±6.2Highest NY: 20.5% 7.1%±1.1Lowest NY: 20.5%
Age 65+ 31.2%±5.2Highest NY: 17.9% 10.1%±1.3Lowest NY: 17.9%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 56.3%Lowest NY: 40.2% 67.7%Highest NY: 40.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.1%±1.6Lowest NY: 7% 51.7%±3.3Highest NY: 7%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $56,753±$14kHighest 34% below NY $48,784±$4kLowest 43% below NY
Northwest Ithaca and Ithaca are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $312,900±$52kLowest 26% below NY $342,700±$15kHighest 19% below NY
Ithaca and Northwest Ithaca are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,185±$74Lowest 27% below NY $1,447±$69Highest 11% below NY
Property taxmedian, yearly $4,750Lowest 28% below NY $8,897Highest 35% above NY
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 71%±17.1Highest NY: 52.1% 65%±7.7Lowest NY: 52.1%
Northwest Ithaca and Ithaca are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 17.8%Lowest NY: 14% 30.4%Highest NY: 14%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 50.2%Highest NY: 54.3% 29.6%Lowest NY: 54.3%
Typical home builtmedian year 1991Highest 32 yrs newer than NY 1956Lowest 3 yrs older than NY
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 16 minLowest 50% below NY 19 minHighest 43% below NY
Work from home 27.2%±9.3Highest NY: 14.9% 24.7%±4.2Lowest NY: 14.9%
Northwest Ithaca and Ithaca are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 6.5%Lowest 17.1%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 4.8 miHighest 2.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 2.83Highest 1.32Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Ithaca (30%)Ithaca (38%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 25% work in IthacaFew work in Northwest Ithaca
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 7.2%Lowest 13.6%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 2.0 miLowest 10.0 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.6 miLowest 1.7 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 24Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 10.5Lowest 96.3Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading —#37 of 484 in NY
School district —ITHACA CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
High school in town —Ithaca Senior High School
Students per teacherat that high school — 13.8
New York average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024
Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Northwest Ithaca neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Northwest Ithaca’s Town Square.

Ithaca neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Ithaca’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Northwest Ithaca and Ithaca

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Towns like Northwest Ithaca

+ Compare
Clinton1,813 people · $310K homes
+ Compare
Chatham1,669 people · $323K homes
+ Compare
Trumansburg1,665 people · $287K homes
+ Compare
Dryden1,671 people · $231K homes

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

Post to Northwest Ithaca

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in