Tompkins
6.2
High score (8-10)
Ithaca runs on Cornell University and Ithaca College, and the result is one of the most educated, progressive, and internationally diverse small cities in the United States. Cornell's graduate programs draw massive international communities — significant Indian, Chinese, South Korean, and European academic populations that make conversations about global backgrounds genuinely normal. The Ithaca Commons pedestrian mall and Collegetown above campus are walkable social environments with good food (Ithaca has a restaurant scene that punches several weight classes above its size). An outsider with intellectual credentials or an academic profile fits into the dominant social culture here more naturally than in almost any other upstate city.
Mid score (6-8) · Your profile
Cornell's international graduate student population and the progressive Ithaca social culture mean that being foreign or having an unusual background is an asset rather than a curiosity. The State Theater, the Hangar Theatre, and the Sciencenter maintain cultural activity year-round. An outsider visiting during the academic year has excellent social access.
Lower score (below 6)
Ithaca is geographically isolated — 'centrally isolated' is a phrase locals use about New York State in general — and the winters, while not North Country brutal, are grey and damp due to the glacial lakes effect. The progressive social culture is genuine but can be ideologically uniform in ways that make certain types of outsiders less comfortable than the tolerance ethos would suggest. The academic social scene also has significant hierarchy based on institutional affiliation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the median income in Tompkins, NewYork?
$90k median
What's the typical marriage age for women in Tompkins, NewYork?
Women marry at 30
How common is a college degree in Tompkins, NewYork?
38% men have degree
What's the average male height in Tompkins, NewYork?
177 cm local avg
What's the average BMI for women in Tompkins, NewYork?
Local women avg 29.9