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City · 17,450 residents · Cortland County, New York

Cortland , New York

In Cortland, a typical home is worth $152,600 and typical rent is $975 a month. Compared with all of Cortland County, typical household income is 16% lower, the typical home value is 6% lower, and the share of households that own their home is 20 points lower.

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  • Typical home value

    $152,600

    6% below the county

    64% below New York

    • Cortland
    • County
    • New York

  • Typical rent

    $975a month

    About the same as the county

    40% below New York

    • Cortland
    • County
    • New York

  • Typical household income

    $59,482a year

    16% below the county

    31% below New York

    • Cortland
    • County
    • New York

  • Households that own their home

    46%

    20 points below the county

    8 points below New York

    • Cortland
    • County
    • New York

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

Market now, with Zillow data

Zillow data
Typical home value
$210,596
5.6% more than 12 months ago
Typical rent
$1,143 a month
9.2% more than 12 months ago

From Zillow (ZHVI/ZORI), September 2026. The Census figures above are 5-year averages (2020–2024).

Cortland is in Cortland County. The FHA loan limit ($541,287 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Cortland County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets Cortland apart

What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.

  1. 46% of households in Cortland own their home, against 66% in Cortland County.

  2. The typical household income in Cortland is $59,482, 16% less than in Cortland County as a whole ($70,418).

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024).

The homes here

Housing in Cortland

What homes there are in Cortland, what they cost, how that changed and how people live, from Census figures (2020–2024).

What homes there are

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Kind of home

Homes in Cortland are varied: detached houses are the largest group, at 44%, against 63% in Cortland County.

Year built

The typical home in Cortland was built in 1947, 14 years before the typical one in Cortland County.

There are fewer big homes in Cortland than in Cortland County: 54% have 3 bedrooms or more, against 63%.

All homes, occupied or empty. A figure the Census cannot measure precisely enough here is not shown.

Census tables: B25024, B25034, B25035, B25041

What it costs here

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Value of owner-occupied homes
Monthly rent with utilities

Measured against HUD's 2-bedroom fair market rent ($1,171), about 65% of rented homes in Cortland cost less.

With a mortgage

$1,404 a month

Cortland County: $1,537 a month

Without a mortgage

$621 a month

Cortland County: $641 a month

Owners with a mortgage

60%

Cortland County: 54%

Owning costs less in Cortland: with a mortgage, the typical cost is $1,404 a month; in Cortland County, $1,537. Without one, $621.

Value: what owners think their home is worth. Rent: rent plus utilities, for homes of every size. The FHA limit is the most an FHA loan (Federal Housing Administration) lends for a one-unit home; the fair market rent (FMR) is the one HUD uses for housing vouchers.

Census tables: B25075, B25063, B25088, B25081

How it changed

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024

Change since 2015–2019

From 2015–2019 to 2020–2024, the typical home value in Cortland rose 40%; in Cortland County, it rose 31%.

Much as in Cortland County, the typical rent in Cortland rose 29% since 2015–2019.

To compare: typical income in Cortland rose 34%; the home, +40%; the rent, +29%.

Change between two 5-year periods that do not overlap, in each period's dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

Census tables: B25077, B25064, B19013

How people live

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

MeasureCortlandCortland CountyNew YorkUnited States
Rental vacancy Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate3.8%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate1.1%0.9%
More than one person per room Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate5.3%3.4%
People per household 2.052.242.492.53
Drive alone 66%72%49%69%
Carpool 14%12%6%9%
Public transit Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate22%3%
Walk or bike 11%6%6%3%
Work from home 7%8%15%15%
Other means Unreliable estimate1%2%2%
Typical commute 10 to 19 minutesUnreliable estimate20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes

Fewer people live in each home here: 2.05 on average, against 2.24 in Cortland County.

Many here get to work on foot or by bike: 11%, more than in Cortland County (6%).

Vacancy: empty homes offered for rent or for sale. Rooms: every room in the home, not only bedrooms. Commute: the minute range of the typical worker.

Census tables: B25004, B25003, B25014, B25010, B08301, B08303

Do the math

What would you pay each month for a home in Cortland?

A typical home is tight for the typical income

We start with a typical home in Cortland, worth $152,600, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 30% of the typical household income in Cortland, which is $59,482 a year. For that payment to be 28% of income, a household would need to earn about $64,107 a year.

The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Cortland County.

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in Cortland. Change it to the price you have in mind.

Loan type
Your credit score

Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.

Down payment
%

That is $5,341 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.

This week's average ± a quarter or half point.

Term

National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.

Adjust advanced details

Estimated monthly payment

Local data

$1,496

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$149,836
Total interest
$215,579
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $2,577 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $1,388 a month

  • Tight

    $1,388 to $1,784 a month

    Your payment · 30%

  • Hard

    more than $1,784 a month

Compared with the typical household income in Cortland ($59,482 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$1,496
Principal & interest$1,015
Property tax$350
Home insurance$64
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$67

You need at least $5,341 for the down payment, plus closing costs.

Next step

This is an estimate to give you an idea, not a loan offer. Your real payment depends on your rate, your credit, and the insurance and taxes on the home you buy.

The city and its county

Cortland and Cortland County

Cortland is in Cortland County, New York. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes its own numbers for the city: home values, rent, household income, how many households own their home and the property tax. They are American Community Survey estimates (average 2020–2024).

Cortland's own numbers

Typical home value
$152,600
Typical monthly rent
$975
Typical yearly household income
$59,482
Households that own their home
46%
Effective property tax rate
2.75%

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).

Numbers for all of Cortland County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$541,287
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,171
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+55%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
5.6%

HUD, FHFA and FEMA don't publish these numbers by city.

Other numbers are not published by city, only for the whole county: FHA and conventional loan limits, HUD’s fair market rents, FHFA’s price index and FEMA’s flood data. On this page, those numbers always say they are for all of Cortland County.

Everything about Cortland County

Buying

Buying a home in Cortland

A typical home in Cortland is worth $152,600: 6% below the county and 64% below New York. With the typical household income in Cortland ($59,482 a year), a typical home costs 2.6 times what the household earns in a year.

Years of income to pay for a typical home

The typical home value divided by the typical household income for one year. The lower it is, the less buying weighs.

  • Cortland 2.6 years
  • County 2.3 years
  • New York 4.9 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in Cortland County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Cortland County rose 76% in the 10 years through 2025.

FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Cortland County.

Period County New York U.S.
Last year (2025) +9.9% +6.0% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +55% +52% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +76% +86% +85%

The index follows the price of the same homes over time (sales and appraisals with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans). It is not the average price of a home. FHFA considers its annual county indexes experimental. Source: FHFA, 2025 data

Cortland next to Cortland County, New York and the U.S.

Three numbers side by side. “Typical” means the median: half are above it and half below.

Typical home value
  • Cortland $152,600
  • County $162,100
  • New York $423,800
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • Cortland $975
  • County $984
  • New York $1,621
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • Cortland $59,482
  • County $70,418
  • New York $85,974
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
Cortland next to Cortland County and New York
Measure Cortland Cortland County New York U.S.
Typical home value $152,600 $162,100 $423,800 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $975 $984 $1,621 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $59,482 $70,418 $85,974 $80,734
Households that own their home 46% 66% 54% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $4,190 $4,149 $6,582 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 2.75% 2.56% 1.55% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 52% 50% 52% 51%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Cortland County. “High rent” is the Census measure: renter households that pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

Four ways to pay for a typical home in Cortland

For a typical $152,600 home in Cortland, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Cortland's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $1,496a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $5,341
    Cash to close
    $9,919
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $67

  • Conventional, 5% down $1,468a month

    Down payment
    $7,630
    Cash to close
    $12,208
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $72

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $1,240a month

    Down payment
    $30,520
    Cash to close
    $35,098
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $1,381a month

    Down payment
    $22,890
    Cash to close
    $27,468
    Rate
    8.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

The option that asks for the least cash to close is FHA, 3.5% down.

  • Cash to close = down payment plus 3% of the price in closing costs (example).
  • Minimum score: FHA requires 580 or higher for the minimum down payment (HUD Handbook 4000.1). * Fannie Mae requires 620 when a loan is underwritten by hand; its automated system has no fixed minimum.
  • The ITIN row is an example with a rate 1 percentage point higher: ITIN loans follow no federal rule and each lender sets its own down payment and rate. Nothing in this table promises an approval.

How much house can I afford? Estimate closing costs

Taxes and floods

Two costs that change from place to place

Property tax and flood insurance raise or lower what you pay each month. Here are the numbers for Cortland and for Cortland County.

Property tax

Effective rate in Cortland

2.75%of the home’s value each year

$4,190 a year for the typical owner in Cortland.

  • Cortland 2.75%
  • County 2.56%
  • New York 1.55%

What New York publishes Basic STAR school tax relief (New York State Department of Taxation and Finance)

Exemptions and deadlines in New York

Flood risk in Cortland County

FEMA does not publish these numbers by city: they are for all of Cortland County.

Homes in the high-risk zone
5.6%
950
Of those, with NFIP insurance
21%
County New York U.S.
Homes in the high-risk zone 5.6% 2% 3.5%
Of those, with NFIP insurance 21% 76% 48%

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in Cortland

Typical rent in Cortland is $975 a month: about the same as the county. In Cortland, 52% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Cortland County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($1,171 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $22.52 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Cortland County

What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.

Size Fair rent a month Hourly wage Yearly income
Studio $934 $17.96 $37,360
1 bedroom $940 $18.08 $37,600
2 bedrooms $1,171 $22.52 $46,840
3 bedrooms $1,473 $28.33 $58,920
4 bedrooms $1,957 $37.63 $78,280

Includes basic utilities. It isn't the lowest or highest rent: it's a reference point. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027

By ZIP code

Fair market rent by ZIP code in Cortland

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Cortland is in ZIP code 13045.

For 2 bedrooms it is $1,580: $409 more than the fair market rent for Cortland County ($1,171).

  • 13045 $1,580$1,900

1 of these ZIP codes crosses the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for Cortland when at least 50% of its land is inside the city or it covers at least 15% of the city (Census 2020 boundaries). Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Fiscal year 2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file Data from 2020 data Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file

Is your rent high for your ZIP?

Low-income apartments

Low-income apartments in Cortland

HUD lists 7 buildings with rents for lower incomes in Cortland. These are the largest.

  • Port Watson 51 Port Watson St, Cortland 13045 240 homes, 237 low-income · Run by Cortland Housing Authority · Average payment: $382 a month · Average wait: 4 months (607) 753-1771
  • Friendship House 13 Leon Ave, Cortland 13045 101 homes, 100 low-income · 1 bd: 100 · 2 bd: 1 · In service since 2006 · For older adults (607) 756-6636
  • Port Watson Commons 124 Port Watson St, Cortland 13045 72 low-income homes · 1 bd: 47 · 2 bd: 15 · 3 bd: 10 · In service since 1996 · For older adults, families
  • Northcliffe Apartments 10 Northcliffe Rd, Cortland 13045 58 low-income homes · For families (607) 753-0096
  • Riverview Apartments, Cortland 6 Riverview Ave, Cortland 13045 39 homes, 36 low-income · 1 bd: 36 · 2 bd: 3 · In service since 2017 · For people with disabilities, families

See all 9 buildings in Cortland County Source: HUD, Retrieved November 6, 2026

Free help

Help to buy or rent in Cortland

You do not have to do this alone. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency helps for free or at low cost: getting ready to buy, understanding your credit, or solving a problem with your rent.

We found no HUD-approved agencies with an office in Cortland County. The nearest ones are below; many serve by phone or online.

An older man and his daughter go over papers with a professional.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in Cortland

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for Cortland or Cortland County. The ones below are statewide in New York: they work in Cortland the same as in the rest of the state.

Which programs do I qualify for? All programs in New York

Housing counselors near Cortland

The HUD-approved agencies closest to the center of Cortland, in a straight line, nearest first. If one says it serves in Spanish, its card says so.

  • Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc.

    115 W Clinton St, Ithaca · 20 miles away · Spanish

    Also serves in French.

    • Workshops for new owners
    • Pre-purchase counseling
    • and 1 more
    (607) 277-4500

  • Home Headquarters, Inc.

    625 Erie Blvd W, Syracuse · 31 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 8 more
    (315) 474-1939

  • Syracuse Cooperative Federal Credit Union

    1816 Erie Blvd E, Syracuse · 31 miles away · Spanish

    Also serves in Swahili.

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 3 more
    (315) 476-5290

All counseling agencies in New York

Help in Spanish near Cortland

3 of the 3 agencies on this list say they serve in Spanish.

Ask for service in Spanish

When you call, say “Spanish, please” or ask if someone speaks Spanish. If not, ask whether they offer an interpreter.

Housing authorities of Cortland

HUD lists no housing authority with an office in Cortland County. One in a neighboring county or the state’s may serve the area.

All housing agencies in New York Source: HUD

Cities

Nearby cities

The cities closest to Cortland, with the typical home value.

Everything about Cortland County Housing in New York

Neighboring counties

If Cortland County is out of reach, look next door. Each number is that county's own.

Keep going

Guides for your next step

Short explanations, in plain language and with official sources, for buying or renting in Cortland.

All guides
Three generations of a family gather on the porch of their home.

Questions

Housing questions about Cortland

Short answers with the numbers for Cortland and all of Cortland County. If your case is different, a HUD-approved counseling agency can guide you for free or at low cost.

How much does a typical home cost in Cortland?

The typical home value in Cortland is $152,600, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Cortland County it is $162,100.

How much does it cost to rent in Cortland?

Typical rent in Cortland is $975 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Cortland County is $1,171.

What is the FHA loan limit in Cortland?

Cortland uses the FHA limit for all of Cortland County (2026): $541,287 for a one-unit home and $1,041,125 for a four-unit home.

How much property tax do owners pay in Cortland?

The typical homeowner in Cortland pays $4,190 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 2.75% of the home’s value; in Cortland County, the rate is 2.56%.

Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Cortland?

We found no HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Cortland County; the nearest ones are on this page. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.

Sources: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (Average 2020–2024); FHA mortgage limits (HUD) (2026 data); Conforming loan limits (FHFA) (2026 data); Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (2020 data); HUD-approved housing counseling agencies (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Public Housing Agencies (HUD) (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) (As of November 5, 2026); FHFA House Price Index (HPI) (2025 data); Homes with flood insurance (NFIP, FEMA) (As of August 3, 2026).