Cortland receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Austin
Cortland
Opportunity
38 · Bottom 15%
vs47 · Bottom 30%
Growth
23 · Bottom 10%
vs26 · Bottom 13%
Climate
53 · Bottom 2%
vs54 · Bottom 4%
Physical resilience
45 · Bottom 35%
vs49 · Bottom 42%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 8%
vs96 · Top 17%
Access
86 · Bottom 32%
vs82 · Bottom 25%
Economic stability
53 · Bottom 36%
vs39 · Bottom 16%
Measured values
| Metric | Austin | Cortland | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 26,358 | 17,450 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $68,057 | $59,482 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $31,514 | $28,083 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,957/sq mi | 4,481/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $163,900 | $152,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $953 | $975 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 71.5% | 45.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.1% | 4.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.6% | -0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.6% | 27.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.5% | 20.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 4 | 3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.2 | 0.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -96.5% | 0.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 81°F | 79°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 5°F | 13°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 36.2" | 41.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 29 mi | 35 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 19.2 min | 18.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.2 | 27.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Austin
Elevated or high exposure: tornado, strong wind, inland flooding.
Cortland
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Full profiles: Austin, MN · Cortland, NY · How this is calculated: methodology