Newark receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Ithaca
Newark
Opportunity
39 · Bottom 16%
vs41 · Bottom 20%
Growth
61 · Top 31%
vs68 · Top 20%
Climate
54 · Bottom 4%
vs71 · Top 48%
Physical resilience
47 · Bottom 39%
vs50 · Bottom 43%
Housing affordability
28 · Bottom 1%
vs34 · Bottom 2%
Access
87 · Bottom 33%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
24 · Bottom 3%
vs43 · Bottom 22%
Measured values
| Metric | Ithaca | Newark | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 32,814 | 310,178 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $48,784 | $52,060 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $31,599 | $27,193 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 6,089/sq mi | 12,847/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $342,700 | $373,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,447 | $1,392 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 29.6% | 24.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.7% | 6.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.6% | 0.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 67.7% | 19.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 30.4% | 23.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 163 | 2,472 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 5.0 | 8.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -22.0% | -4.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 79°F | 87°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 13°F | 26°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 41.7" | 46.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 28 mi | 2 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 19.9 min | 35.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 23.3 | 34.7 | 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.
Newark
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: Ithaca, NY · Newark, NJ · How this is calculated: methodology