Finger Lakes
Ithaca, New York
Ithaca is a town in Tompkins County, in New York's Finger Lakes region, home to about 22,500 people as of the 2020 census.
Whether you're moving in or you've been here for years, the checks that matter most are the school district, the assessment and STAR, and — outside the cities — the well, the septic, and the flood map.
- Type
- Town
- County
- Tompkins
- Region
- Finger Lakes
- Population (2020)
- 22,283
Local Almanac
Notes in and around Ithaca
Short, sourced notes tied to this place, its county, or nearby communities.
This place · History & Culture
Ithaca's Town Story Climbs Above the City
The Town of Ithaca frames the city from Cayuga Lake hills, Cornell and Ithaca College edges, natural areas, and surrounding neighborhoods.
Read this note ->This place · The Outdoors
Buttermilk Falls makes Ithaca gorge country immediate
Buttermilk Falls State Park gives the Ithaca area a close-at-hand gorge landscape where waterfalls, stone stairs, trails, and everyday local life meet.
Read this note ->This place · Home & Property
Tompkins septic work needs the OWTS permit page before construction
Tompkins County says new or repaired onsite wastewater systems need a county permit before construction work begins.
Read this note ->This place · Rules & Licenses
Tompkins Recycling Questions Belong on the County Materials Page
Tompkins County’s Recycling and Materials Management page separates recycling, trash, food scraps, permits, fees, and outreach.
Read this note ->Nearby · The Outdoors
The Waterfall in Town That Beats Niagara on Height
Taughannock Falls drops 215 feet straight down — taller than Niagara — and it's one of more than 150 waterfalls hiding in the gorges around Ithaca.
Read this note ->Nearby · History & Culture
Newfield Keeps a Covered Bridge in Daily View
Newfield has a concrete identity marker in its one-lane covered bridge over the west branch of Cayuga Inlet.
Read this note ->Nearby · The Outdoors
Enfield's Glen Gives It a Wilder West-Ithaca Edge
Robert H. Treman State Park gives Enfield a rugged gorge identity on the west side of the Ithaca area.
Read this note ->Nearby · History & Culture
Cayuga Heights Was Planned as a Cornell-Edge Village
Cayuga Heights reads differently when you know it was planned as a home-focused village beside a growing Cornell.
Read this note ->Nearby · Home & Property
Ithaca Renovations Need the Building Permit Portal Early
Ithaca owners should check the city Building Division before treating electrical, demolition, tent, sign, or compliance work as informal.
Read this note ->Property tax snapshot
Roughly $24–$25 per $1,000
Combined full-value rate — county + town/city + school district, per $1,000 of market value (FY2025). On a $300,000 home that's about $7,167–$7,427 a year before the STAR break.
A planning estimate, not a bill. Your exact rate depends on your school district and any village. Confirm with the assessor.
Statewide links
Statewide starting points.
Good to know
- • Your assessed value usually isn't your market value — ask for the equalization rate.
- • Register for STAR; new applicants generally receive a credit instead of an automatic exemption on the bill.
- • Outside the cities, check the well, the septic, and the FEMA flood map before you buy.
Nearby
Nearby places
Tax rates: NYS Dept of Taxation & Finance (ORPTS), Real Property Tax Rates and Levy Data by Municipality, data.ny.gov dataset iq85-sdzs. (FY2025). Population: U.S. Census 2020. Reviewed June 2026. Source data ->
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