Compare towns
Syracuse vs Onondaga
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against New York.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Syracuse has grown the fastest since 2010 (+2.4%).
Onondaga has the highest household income ($104k).
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 | Syracuse | Onondaga |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 146,384Highest |
22,573Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.4%Highest NY: +4.2% |
-0.7%Lowest NY: +4.2% |
| Median age | 31.8±0.4Lowest 20% below NY |
45.4±2.7Highest 14% above NY |
| Kids under 18 | 20.5%±0.7Highest NY: 20.5% |
20.1%±2Lowest 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+ | 14.4%±0.6Lowest NY: 17.9% |
23.5%±2.4Highest NY: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 31.2%Lowest NY: 40.2% |
46.2%Highest NY: 40.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 16.8%±0.8Highest NY: 7% |
8.1%±1.2Lowest NY: 7% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $47,819±$2kLowest 44% below NY |
$104,448±$5kHighest 21% above NY |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $138,400±$5kLowest 67% below NY |
$246,200±$15kHighest 42% below NY |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,039±$20Lowest 36% below NY |
$1,333±$128Highest 18% below NY |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,210Lowest 51% below NY |
$5,480Highest 17% below NY |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 55.4%±2.9Highest NY: 52.1% |
51.1%±11.5Lowest 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 | 28.8%Highest NY: 14% |
3.5%Lowest NY: 14% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 41.6%Lowest NY: 54.3% |
82.7%Highest NY: 54.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1948Lowest 11 yrs older than NY |
1974Highest 15 yrs newer than NY |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 18 minLowest 45% below NY |
21 minHighest 37% below NY |
| Work from home | 12%±1.1Highest NY: 14.9% |
11.1%±2.4Lowest 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 | #472 of 484 in NY | #122 of 484 in NY |
| School district | NEW YORK STATE OFFICE MENTAL HEALTH (OMH) · SYRACUSE CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT | WESTHILL CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT · ONONDAGA CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT |
| High school in town | HENNINGER HIGH SCHOOL | WESTHILL HIGH SCHOOL |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 13.3Highest |
10.3Lowest |
| 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.