City safety & data profile

CortlandNY

Cortland, NY is a 19K-resident city in Cortland County with a median household income of $59,482.

Cortland County, New York. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Cortland, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Cortland has a population larger than 40% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $152,600, and 1 hospital serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-20

19K
Population
Top 60%
By size
$59,482
Median income
$152,600
Median home
20.8%
Poverty rate

The read on Cortland

Cortland posts a median household income higher than 21% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 2 recent safety alerts are on record and 1 hospital serves the Cortland area.

Top 79%
by median income, US cities
2
safety alerts on record
1
hospital in & near Cortland

Where Cortland income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$59,482 Bottom 21% higher than 21% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. NY $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Cortland, NY beyond the headline numbers

Cortland sits inside Cortland County, New York, at roughly 42.60°N, -76.18°W. Population 18,907, $59,482 median household income. Median home value $152,600, median rent $975. Poverty rate 20.8%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Cortland's highest-prevalence health measure is short sleep duration at 39%, then obesity at 31.8%. 1 hospital in/around Cortland, 3/5 avg rating, 1 with an ER.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Cortland from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
18,907
Cortland
Median Income
$59,482
-12% vs avg
Median Home Value
$152,600
-33% vs avg
Median Age
27.4
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Cortland County) - Cortland's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
46K-6%
Median Income
$70,418+49%
Median Home Value
$162,100+53%
Poverty Rate
12.8%-13%
Unemployment
4.6%-39%

Economics

Economics indicators for Cortland, NY
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$975/mo
Poverty Rate
20.8% +46% vs avg
Unemployment 4.2%
Bachelor's Degree+ 27.2%
Work From Home 6.9%
Public Transit 1.4%

Population

White 87.1%
African American 3.1%
Asian 1.7%
Two or More Ethnicities 2.6%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Short Sleep Duration
39%
Obesity
31.8%
High Blood Pressure
30.4%
Physical Inactivity
26.8%
Frequent Mental Distress
20%
Binge Drinking
18.3%
Current Smoking
14.8%
Frequent Physical Distress
14.1%
Current Asthma
11.8%
Diabetes
9.7%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 60%
Annual Checkup 77.8%

Other Measures

Lack of Health Insurance
7%
Coronary Heart Disease
6.3%
Stroke
3.3%

Hospitals 1 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
0
★★★★
0
★★★
1
★★
0
0
Average Rating
3/5
Total Hospitals
1
With ER
1
GUTHRIE CORTLAND REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER
CORTLAND · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★★☆☆

Alerts & News - Cortland Area 2

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of Cortland, NY?
Cortland, NY has a population of 18,907 people, located in Cortland County, New York.
What is the median household income in Cortland?
The median household income in Cortland, NY is $59,482 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 20.8%.
What is the median home value in Cortland?
The median home value in Cortland, NY is $152,600. Median rent is $975/month.
What are the top health concerns in Cortland?
The top health indicators in Cortland include Short Sleep Duration (39%), Obesity (31.8%), High Blood Pressure (30.4%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in Cortland?
Cortland has 1 hospital with an average rating of 3/5 stars. 1 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in Cortland?
The median age in Cortland, NY is 27.4 years. 27.2% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Cortland, NY is located in Cortland County, New York. With a population of 19K and a $59,482 median household income, the community faces health challenges including short sleep duration and obesity. Residents have access to 1 hospital with an average rating of 3/5 stars. Safety alerts for the Cortland area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

Primary source data

Nearby Cities 8

Using Cortland's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Cortland area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Cortland against New York peers on any ranking lens. Explore New York

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Cortland County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.