Kingston receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Ithaca
Kingston
Opportunity
52 · Bottom 43%
vs67 · Top 28%
Growth
56 · Top 40%
vs53 · Top 45%
Climate
54 · Bottom 10%
vs60 · Bottom 25%
Physical resilience
48 · Bottom 40%
vs71 · Top 26%
Housing affordability
78 · Bottom 19%
vs84 · Bottom 24%
Access
86 · Top 32%
vs86 · Top 32%
Economic stability
41 · Bottom 35%
vs37 · Bottom 31%
Measured values
| Metric | Ithaca | Kingston | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 104,537 | 182,601 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $74,024 | $86,271 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $41,808 | $47,778 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 220/sq mi | 162/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $290,900 | $352,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,411 | $1,425 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 54.1% | 69.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | 3.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.6% | -1.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 58.8% | 38.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 16.4% | 14.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 393 | 600 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.8 | 3.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -8.8% | 4.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 79°F | 83°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 13°F | 16°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 41.7" | 45.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 29 mi | 32 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 21.4 min | 28.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 32.3 | 44.1 | 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
Ithaca
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Kingston
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, cold wave.
Full profiles: Ithaca, NY Metro Area · Kingston, NY Metro Area · How this is calculated: methodology