HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlan Appendix B 01 Demographic Profile
Town of Ithaca 2014 Comprehensive Plan B‐1
APPENDIX B
EXISTING CONDITIONS
Town of Ithaca 2014 Comprehensive Plan B‐2
Town of Ithaca 2014 Comprehensive Plan B‐3
EXISTING CONDITIONS
B.1 Demographic profile
This section provides a snapshot of the Town of Ithaca’s existing demographic characteristics, with a specific focus
on population distributions/concentrations, age distribution, racial characteristics, and education.
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the United States Census, either the most recent 2010 Census or earlier
Census counts. Data has also been extracted from the American Community Survey (ACS), an on-going nationwide
survey sponsored by the Census that produces demographic estimates. The ACS is conducted annually for a sample
of the U.S. population, particularly municipalities with a population of 20,000 persons or more. Depending on a
municipality’s population size, analysis of the data is provided in annual, three-year, or five-year estimates. The most
recent ACS data available for the Town of Ithaca covered the five-year period between 2008 and 2012.
B.1.1 Population
The Town of Ithaca, including the Village of Cayuga Heights, has a current population of approximately 19,930
persons. The Town's population has grown steadily in the last 40 years, with an average increase of 6.75% each
decade between 1970 and 2010; a growth rate of approximately 0.7% per year. The most recent Census information
indicates that the Town grew another 6.5% between 2000 and 2010, an increase that is consistent with past trends.
Population projections
Generally, population projections are based on two assumptions: (1) that the rate of change is equally divided across a
period of time (usually 10 year increments), and (2) that population will grow at the same rate as it has in the past.1
In reality, however, population growth rates vary from year to year and are affected by many social and economic
factors. Therefore, population projections should only be considered guidelines to gauge potential future conditions.
Historical and projected population 1970‐2030 | Town of Ithaca
15620 16022
17797 18710 19930 21225 22605
0
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030Population
Source: United States Census Bureau
Assuming that the Town of Ithaca continues to grow at the same general rate as the last forty years, the Town of
Ithaca total population in 2030, including the Village of Cayuga Heights, would be approximately 22,605 persons, or
1 Lab No. 3: Population Projections and Scale, Ines M. Miyares, Department of Geography, Hunter College. http://geo.hunter.cuny.edu
Town of Ithaca 2014 Comprehensive Plan B‐4
an additional ±2,675 persons in the next 20 years.2 The previous chart illustrates the historical and projected
population for the Town of Ithaca (including the Village of Cayuga Heights).
College student population characteristics
The percentage of college students has remained relatively consistent throughout the years (39% in 1980, 38% in
1990, 35% in 2000). 3 Recent data obtained from the ACS suggests that college students account for nearly 40% of
the total population in the Town between 2008 and 2012.
The large percentage of college-age persons in the Town of Ithaca has historically been attributed to the presence of
area educational institutions of higher learning, particularly Cornell University and Ithaca College. According to the
Town’s 1993 Comprehensive Plan, Ithaca College had a total enrollment of 6,200 students in 1990 (98%
undergraduate). More recently, the Ithaca College Office of Institutional Research reported a fall 2010 enrollment of
6,949 students (93% undergraduate).4
The 1993 Comprehensive Plan also noted that Cornell University had a total enrollment of nearly 18,000 graduate
and undergraduate students (around 70% undergraduate), whereas the Cornell Office of Institutional Research
reported a fall 2010 enrollment of 20,939 students (67% undergraduate).5 According to Cornell’s 2010 Enrollment
Report created by the Office of Institutional Research, the fall 2010 undergraduate and graduate/professional school
enrollments were at an all-time high.
Population concentration/distribution
The Town’s population has historically been concentrated on East Hill, although this has shifted in recent years. The
1993 Comprehensive Plan attributed the proliferation of residential subdivisions and concentration of population on
East Hill to the presence of nearby Cornell University.
Interestingly, Census block and tract information between 1990 and 2010 shows that the Town’s population has been
shifting more to South Hill, such that the South Hill population now exceeds the East Hill population.
Residential subdivision developments occurring in the late 1980s and the 1990s (such as the Deer Run and Chase
Farm Subdivisions) most likely contributed to the increase in population on South Hill, while the reduction of vacant
available land on East Hill has contributed to the negligible population increase. Development of the Linderman
Creek Apartments, the Overlook Apartments, and EcoVillage in the 1990s and mid-2000s contributed to the increase
in population on West Hill.
2 Based on a population projection formula that is found in Appendix E
3 According to 1980, 1990, and 2000 Census figures.
4 Ithaca College Office of Institutional Research, Ithaca College Facts in Brief 2010‐11,.
http://www.ithaca.edu/ir/facts/Ithaca_College_Facts_in_Brief_2010‐11.pdf, accessed 1 August 2011.
5 Cornell University Office of Institutional Research and Planning, Enrollments by College, Ithaca Campus, Fall 2010.
http://dpb.cornell.edu/documents/1000172.pdf, accessed 1 August 2011.
Town of Ithaca 2014 Comprehensive Plan B‐5
Population by Census block 2010 | Town of Ithaca
Town of Ithaca 2014 Comprehensive Plan B‐6
The pie charts and the table below illustrate the shifts in population distribution in the Town of Ithaca between 2000
and 2010. The 2010 Population by Census Block map on the following page shows the distribution of the Town’s
population as of the 2010 Census.
Population distribution 2000‐2010: Town of Ithaca
Town population distribution: 2000
Village of
Cayuga Heights
19%
West Hill
14%
South Hill
35%
East Hill
32%
Town population distribution: 2010
Population distribution 1990‐2010 | Town of Ithaca
Location 1990 population 2000 population 2010 population % change
1990‐2000
% change
2000‐2010
East Hill 6,412 6,389 6,409 ‐0.4% +0.3%
South Hill 5,654 6,210 6,904 +9.8% +11.2%
West Hill 2,274 2,373 2,888 +4.4% +22%
Village of Cayuga Heights 3,457 3,738 3,729 +8.1% ‐0.2%
Total: Town of Ithaca 17,797 18,710 19,930 +5.1% +6.5%
Source: United States Census Bureau
The population on South Hill grew 11.2% between 2000 and 2010, whereas the population on East Hill only
increased 0.3% between 2000 and 2010. Although the West Hill area of the Town is the least populated, it
experienced the largest increase in population, with a 22% increase between 2000 and 2010.
B.1.2 Age and racial characteristics
Age
The 18 to 24 year age group has historically been the largest age group in the Town of Ithaca. The most obvious
reason for this has been the presence of local institutions of higher learning, particularly Cornell University and
Ithaca College. The most recent ACS data indicates that 18 to 24 year-olds are still the largest age group in the Town
of Ithaca, followed by those aged 25-44 years, and those aged 45-64 years.
The chart below shows the general age distribution characteristics of the Town of Ithaca, which are typical of the
Town’s historical age distribution patterns.6
6 2008‐2012 American Community Survey
Village of
Cayuga Heights
20%
West Hill
13%
South Hill
33%
East Hill
34%
Town of Ithaca 2014 Comprehensive Plan B‐7
The highest growth rate noted in the 1993 Comprehensive Plan was for the group aged 65 years or older; the
proportion of which nearly doubled between 1970 and 1990. The 1993 Plan also anticipated that the elder
population would continue to grow, thereby increasing the need for specialized housing and care (with even more
services needed by elders over 80 in the future).
Indeed, the senior population, mainly 75 to 84 years old, had the greatest increase in numbers from Census 1990 to
Census 2000 (62% change). The 85-year old plus group also significantly increased between 1990 and 2000 (54%
change). These figures have mirrored county, state, and national trends. According to the Tompkins County Office
for the Aging, seniors aged 85-plus now constitute the fastest growing segment of the senior population - a trend that
is projected to continue.7 Additionally, the baby-boom generation (those born between 1946 and 1964) is beginning to
reach retirement age and will contribute to future specialized service needs. The Town might need to develop
additional services in the future to accommodate the needs of these continuing aging segments of the community.
Race
According to the Census, the race/ethnicity breakdown in the Town has historically been similar to that of Tompkins
County and the Southern Tier region. The Town has lower racial and ethnic diversity (with the exception of the
Asian population) than New York State and the United States as a whole. The 2010 Census showed that nearly 80%
of people reporting one race alone in the Town of Ithaca were White/Caucasian, whereas 11% were Asian, 4% were
Hispanic, 4% were Black/African American, 1% were Some Other Race, and 0.1% were American Indian, Alaska
Native, Native Hawaiian, or Other Pacific Islander.
B.1.3 Education
The 2008-2012 ACS recently reported that nearly 9,500 children in the Town of Ithaca were enrolled in school. That
is, 423 children (ages 3 and older) were enrolled in nursery school or kindergarten, just over 1,600 were enrolled in
elementary or high school, and more than 7,400 were enrolled in college or graduate school. This is consistent with
past Census figures for the Town of Ithaca and for Tompkins County.
7 Overview of Millenium Project, Tompkins County Office of the Aging, http://www.tompkins‐co.org/cofa/intro.pdf
Age distribution 2008‐2012: Town of Ithaca
Source: 2008‐2012 American Community Survey
Town of Ithaca 2014 Comprehensive Plan B‐8
Regarding those aged 25 years and older, the Town of Ithaca contains a highly educated community, with much
higher education attainment levels than New York State as a whole. Local educational institutions of higher learning
have tended to draw a large number of persons seeking undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate degrees. 95% of
those in the Town aged 25 and older at least graduated high school, with 71% attaining a bachelor’s degree or higher.8
The chart below, excerpted from the 2008-2012 ACS, illustrates the levels of education achieved by Town of Ithaca
residents aged 25 years and older.
Educational attainment 2008‐2012 | Town of Ithaca residents
Source: 2008‐2012 American Community Survey
8 2008‐2012 American Community Survey