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Cortland, NY Cost Of Living

The latest cost of living statistics for Cortland. Includes statistics on rent, mortgages, healthcare, and other costs for Cortland compared to the state and national averages.

Chris Kolmar
Written by
HomeSnacks
Last updated
2026-06-20

Cost of living in Cortland, New York

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:

97 Cost of living index 1.0x lower vs US
#39 Cheapest in New York (of 336)
#2,094 Cheapest in the U.S. (of 6,489)
$197,781 Median home value
$975 Median rent
$59,482 Median income
Not sure Cortland fits your budget? Try our place-match quiz →

What is the cost of living in Cortland, NY?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Cortland has an overall cost of living index of 97, which is 1.0x 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 121.

The standard of living in Cortland ranks as #39 most affordable out of the 336 places we measured in New York. By definition, that implies Cortland ranks as the #297 most expensive place in the Empire State.

For more reading on life in Cortland, check out:

Cortland Cost Of Living Vs. New York

Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Cortland. Here is how it fares on each of the criteria:

  • The Services index in Cortland is 102.

  • The Groceries index in Cortland is 107.

  • The Health index in Cortland is 69.

  • The Housing index in Cortland is 110.

  • The Transportation index in Cortland is 113.

  • The Utilities index in Cortland is 108.

Living Expense Cortland New York National Average
Overall 97 121 100
Services 102 105 100
Groceries 107 108 100
Health 69 143 100
Housing 110 112 100
Transportation 113 114 100
Utilities 108 111 100

Cortland Cost Of Living Compared To New York Averages

Services
Cortland 102
New York avg 105
Groceries
Cortland 107
New York avg 108
Health
Cortland 69
New York avg 143
Housing
Cortland 110
New York avg 112
Transportation
Cortland 113
New York avg 114
Utilities
Cortland 108
New York avg 111

Index where 100 = national average. Source: cost-of-living index 2026.

For more reading on cost of living around New York, check out:

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Source: Cost-of-living index 2026, normalized to US average = 100

Cortland, NY Housing Cost Breakdown

$197,781Median Home Value
$975Median Rent
$59,482Median Income

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 2020-2024. The key points are:

  • The Median Home Value in Cortland is $197,781.

  • The Median Rent in Cortland is $975.

  • The Median Income in Cortland is $59,482.

  • The Home Value To Income in Cortland is 3.3x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in Cortland is 0.2x.

Statistic Cortland New York United States
Median Home Value $197,781 $507,794 $332,700
Median Rent $975 $1,621 $1,413
Median Income $59,482 $85,974 $80,734
Home Value To Income 3.3x 5.9x 4.1x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.2x 0.23x 0.21x

Cortland, NY Costs By Category

Detailed Cortland Services costs vs. New York
Item Cortland New York
Shampoo $1.33 $1.28
Movie $13.27 $12.13
Bowling $16.74 $18
Haircut $20.03 $24.26
Beauty Salon $42.39 $45.56
Detailed Cortland Groceries costs vs. New York
Item Cortland New York
Ground Beef $5.93 $5.84
Fried Chicken $1.39 $1.57
Milk $4.71 $4.67
Potatoes $5.13 $4.93
Pizza $14.83 $12.09
Beer $10.15 $10.41
Toothpaste $3.62 $3.7
Detailed Cortland Health costs vs. New York
Item Cortland New York
Optometrist $160.58 $125.68
Doctor $115.23 $135.78
Dentist $110.48 $113.29
Detailed Cortland Transportation costs vs. New York
Item Cortland New York
Gasoline $3.59 $3.46
Tire Balancing $69.82 $59.92
Detailed Cortland Utilities costs vs. New York
Item Cortland New York
All Electricity $166.89 $193.99
Phone $194.41 $192.25

Cortland SnackAbility

6Overall SnackAbility
Jobs 6/10
Housing 6/10
Affordability 8/10
Diversity 6/10
Safety 5/10
Amenities 9/10
Education 8/10
Commute 9/10

Cost Of Living In Cities Around Cortland

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 115, 1.2x Cortland.

  • Endwell, NY has a cost of living index of 100, 1.0x Cortland.

  • Fairmount, NY has a cost of living index of 100, 1.0x Cortland.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. Cortland
Ithaca, NY 32,814 115 1.2x
Endwell, NY 11,546 100 1.0x
Fairmount, NY 9,724 100 1.0x
Seneca Falls, NY 6,956 96 1.0x
South Hill, NY 6,951 116 1.2x
North Syracuse, NY 6,693 99 1.0x
Solvay, NY 6,544 98 1.0x
Big Flats, NY 5,651 109 1.1x
Westvale, NY 5,212 107 1.1x
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