Cost of living in Cortland research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Cortland is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in New York, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Cortland is 90, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Cortland is 0.9x lower than the national average.
Cortland ranks as the #37 cheapest in New York out of 341.
Cortland ranks as the #1,206 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Cortland is $200,064.
The median income in Cortland is $55,368.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Cortland has an overall cost of living index of 90, which is 0.9x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to New York, Cortland has a cost of living index that's 0.8x lower than New York's index of 119.
The standard of living in Cortland ranks as #37 most affordable out of the 341 places we measured in New York. By definition, that implies Cortland ranks as the #304 most expensive place in the Empire State.
For more reading on life in Cortland, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Cortland. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Cortland is 102.
The Groceries index in Cortland is 99.
The Health index in Cortland is 103.
The Housing index in Cortland is 69.
The Transportation index in Cortland is 108.
The Utilities index in Cortland is 105.
| Living Expense | Cortland | New York | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 90 | 119 | 100 | |
| Services | 102 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 99 | 103 | 100 | |
| Health | 103 | 101 | 100 | |
| Housing | 69 | 145 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 108 | 105 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 105 | 99 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in New York, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Cortland is $200,064.
The Median Rent in Cortland is $893.
The Median Income in Cortland is $55,368.
The Home Value To Income in Cortland is 3.6x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Cortland is 0.19x.
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Cortland. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Ithaca, NY has a cost of living index of 111, 1.2x Cortland.
Endwell, NY has a cost of living index of 91, 1.0x Cortland.
Fairmount, NY has a cost of living index of 99, 1.1x Cortland.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Cortland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ithaca, NY | 31,792 | 111 | 1.2x |
| Endwell, NY | 11,821 | 91 | 1.0x |
| Fairmount, NY | 9,998 | 99 | 1.1x |
| Seneca Falls, NY | 6,967 | 92 | 1.0x |
| South Hill, NY | 6,805 | 111 | 1.2x |
| North Syracuse, NY | 6,727 | 93 | 1.0x |
| Solvay, NY | 6,590 | 91 | 1.0x |
| Big Flats, NY | 5,846 | 104 | 1.2x |
| Westvale, NY | 5,293 | 105 | 1.2x |