2026 Compare Cities Economy:
Durham, NC vs Ithaca, NY

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Highlights
- Household income in Ithaca, is 39% less than it is in Durham and is 68% below the National Average.
- Durham unemployment rate is 4.1%.
- Ithaca unemployment rate is 4.5%.
 Durham, NCIthaca, NYUnited States
 Unemployment Rate  Unlock4.5%6.0%
 Recent Job Growth  Unlock2.8%1.6%
 Future Job Growth43.3%  Unlock33.5%
 Sales Taxes7.5%  Unlock6.2%
 Income Taxes  Unlock6.2%4.6%
 Income per Cap.$39,496  Unlock$37,638
 Household Income  Unlock$40,973$69,021
 Family Median Income$89,399  Unlock$85,028
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 Est. Households By Income
 Durham, NCIthaca, NYUnited States
 Income Less Than 15K  Unlock23.2%9.4%
 Income between 15K and 20K3.3%  Unlock3.8%
 Income between 20K and 30K  Unlock11.6%8.1%
 Income between 30K and 40K9.5%  Unlock8.0%
 Income between 40K and 50K  Unlock9.4%7.6%
 Income between 50K and 60K8.2%  Unlock7.2%
 Income between 60K and 75K  Unlock6.3%9.6%
 Income between 75K and 100K13.1%  Unlock12.8%
 Income between 100K and 150K  Unlock8.8%16.3%
 Income between 150K and 200K7.6%  Unlock7.8%
 Income greater than 200K  Unlock7.1%9.5%
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 Population By Occupation
 Durham, NCIthaca, NYUnited States
 Management, business, finance19.0%  Unlock16.4%
 Engineering, computers, science  Unlock13.9%6.5%
 Community, social services2.3%  Unlock1.8%
 Legal  Unlock0.5%1.2%
 Education, library9.2%  Unlock6.2%
 Arts, design, media, sports, entertainment  Unlock4.7%2.0%
 Healthcare practitioners and technology9.3%  Unlock6.2%
 Healthcare support  Unlock1.7%3.3%
 Firefighters, law enforcement1.3%  Unlock2.1%
 Food preparation, serving  Unlock11.1%5.4%
 Building maintenance3.6%  Unlock3.6%
 Personal care  Unlock2.4%2.6%
 Sales, office, administrative support17.0%  Unlock20.9%
 Farming, fishing, forestry  Unlock0.4%0.6%
 Construction, extraction, maintenance/repair6.0%  Unlock8.1%
 Production, transportation, material moving  Unlock3.1%13.1%
Reviews for Durham    43 Reviews

I was raised in this city, left for work in the 2010s, and returned in 2018. This city has changed a lot over the years for the better. Growing up there was not a ton to  More

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Over 5 years ago

I've lived in durham for a few years and my experience is coming from someone who has traveled all over the world and has lived in many different states. First things  More

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Over 5 years ago

I live here for my entire life and it has never gotten boring, I love the scenery, nightlife and basically everything here. There is always something new to do and  More

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Reviews for Ithaca    32 Reviews

BILL · 

For a small city, its downtown has grown significantly and serves as the hub of the community. The Ithaca Commons remains the central gathering space for locals,  More

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Over 5 years ago

Great place to live. Lots to do, vibrant culture, and beautiful scenery. Don't fear the winter--it's even beautiful then. Only complaint is the housing market. Way  More

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I was born, raised, educated there (Ithaca High and Cornell). In my opinion, before leaving to pursue my career, it seemed like the most beautiful, clean, low crime,  More

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