Compare towns
Onondaga vs Syracuse
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against New York.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Onondaga has the highest household income ($104k).
Syracuse has grown the fastest since 2010 (+2.4%).
What matters to you?
Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.
| Measure | Onondaga | Syracuse |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 22,573Lowest |
146,384Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -0.7%Lowest NY: +4.2% |
+2.4%Highest NY: +4.2% |
| Median age | 45.4±2.7Highest 14% above NY |
31.8±0.4Lowest 20% below NY |
| Kids under 18 | 20.1%±2Lowest NY: 20.5% |
20.5%±0.7Highest NY: 20.5% |
| Syracuse and Onondaga are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Age 65+ | 23.5%±2.4Highest NY: 17.9% |
14.4%±0.6Lowest NY: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 46.2%Highest NY: 40.2% |
31.2%Lowest NY: 40.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 8.1%±1.2Lowest NY: 7% |
16.8%±0.8Highest NY: 7% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $104,448±$5kHighest 21% above NY |
$47,819±$2kLowest 44% below NY |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $246,200±$15kHighest 42% below NY |
$138,400±$5kLowest 67% below NY |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,333±$128Highest 18% below NY |
$1,039±$20Lowest 36% below NY |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,480Highest 17% below NY |
$3,210Lowest 51% below NY |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.1%±11.5Lowest NY: 52.1% |
55.4%±2.9Highest NY: 52.1% |
| Syracuse and Onondaga are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 3.5%Lowest NY: 14% |
28.8%Highest NY: 14% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.7%Highest NY: 54.3% |
41.6%Lowest NY: 54.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1974Highest 15 yrs newer than NY |
1948Lowest 11 yrs older than NY |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 21 minHighest 37% below NY |
18 minLowest 45% below NY |
| Work from home | 11.1%±2.4Lowest NY: 14.9% |
12%±1.1Highest NY: 14.9% |
| Syracuse and Onondaga are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #122 of 484 in NY | #472 of 484 in NY |
| School district | WESTHILL CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT · ONONDAGA CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT | NEW YORK STATE OFFICE MENTAL HEALTH (OMH) · SYRACUSE CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT |
| High school in town | WESTHILL HIGH SCHOOL | HENNINGER HIGH SCHOOL |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.3Lowest |
13.3Highest |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet |
NY average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.