Cortland County, New York: commercial real estate data.
Cortland County, New York has a population of 46,246 across 499 square miles, down 1.8 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $2.37 bn in 2024, 981 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 32 7(a) approvals worth $14.7 m.
125 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Cortland County
How many people live in Cortland County
- Population46,246
- Households18,999
- Average household size2.43
- Median household income$70,418
- Median age37.0
- Median gross rent$984 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$162,100
- Home value to household income2.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income16.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher29.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree13.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over29,317
- Population under 188,547
- Share under 1818.5 percent
- Population 65 and over7,929
- Share 65 and over17.1 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6429,770
- Civilian labor force24,278
- Unemployment rate4.6 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over64.4 percent
- Rank by population among New York counties52nd of 62
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1073rd
Cortland County is the 52nd largest of 62 New York counties by population. A median home costs 2.3 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 18.5 percent against 17.1 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Cortland County
Is Cortland County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-1.84 percent
- Census 2020 base population46,808
- Births, 2024444
- Deaths, 2024482
- Natural change, 2024-38
- Net domestic migration, 20241
- Net international migration, 202425
- Total net migration, 202426
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-552
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2459th
The county has lost 1.84 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Cortland County
Where people moving to Cortland County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving943
- People arriving, from those returns1,474
- Adjusted gross income arriving$50.4 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$53,484
- Largest single originCortland County Non-migrants (16,733 households)
- Largest single destination (16,733 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cortland County Non-migrants | 16,733 | 31,881 | $1.16 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 247 | 417 | $14.2 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 218 | 304 | $10.2 m |
| Tompkins County | 194 | 298 | $11.1 m |
| Onondaga County | 138 | 213 | $8.7 m |
| Other flows - South | 103 | 181 | $5.0 m |
| Broome County | 62 | 101 | $2.9 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 60 | 101 | $3.9 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Cortland County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Cortland County
What the Cortland County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$2.37 bn
- County GDP, 2023$2.29 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.8 percent
- GDP change over five years26.2 percent
- Rank by GDP among New York counties50th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1141st
- GDP per resident$51,293
Output grew 3.8 percent in the latest year and 26.2 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Cortland County
Who employs people in Cortland County
- Covered employment, annual average16,911
- Establishments reporting1,115
- Average annual pay$55,778
- Average weekly wage$1,073
- Sector 62, employment2,380
- Sector 62, average annual pay$63,114
- Sector 72, employment2,284
- Sector 72, average annual pay$24,256
- Sector 31-33, employment2,113
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$75,674
- Sector 44-45, employment1,931
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$36,151
- Sector 81, employment827
- Sector 54, employment576
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 2,380 | 109 | $63,114 |
| Sector 72 | 2,284 | 122 | $24,256 |
| Sector 31-33 | 2,113 | 61 | $75,674 |
| Sector 44-45 | 1,931 | 146 | $36,151 |
| Sector 81 | 827 | 107 | $45,606 |
| Sector 54 | 576 | 65 | $66,941 |
| Sector 71 | 493 | 27 | $19,841 |
| Sector 23 | 410 | 90 | $73,784 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 2,380 jobs, 14.1 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Cortland County
What businesses operate in Cortland County
- Establishments, all industries981
- Employment at those establishments14,353
- Annual payroll$618.8 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents21.2
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Cortland County
What is being built in Cortland County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202441
- Declared construction value permitted$7.9 m
- Single family units authorised24
- Multifamily units authorised17
- Multifamily share of units41.5 percent
- Average declared value per unit$191,565
- Units authorised per 1,000 households2.2
Multifamily is 41.5 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Cortland County
How much SBA lending happens in Cortland County
- 7(a) approvals recorded32
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$14.7 m
- Average 7(a) approval$460,297
- Median 7(a) approval$121,700
- 10th percentile approval$15,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,200,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)298
- Jobs per approval9.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active11
- Distinct industries receiving approvals22
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer15.6 percent
- Loans on real estate terms5
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter26
- Franchise loans2
- Franchise share of approvals6.3 percent
- Leading industry by approval countAll Other Specialty Trade Contractors (4)
- Most active lenderKeyBank National Association (10)
- 504 approvals recorded7
- 504 gross approval dollars$1.9 m
- Average 504 approval$265,429
- Median 504 approval$281,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval4.7
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved17.8
- Most active CDCEmpire State Certified Development Corporation (7)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals82.1 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$16.6 m
The average approval of $460,297 sits well above the median of $121,700, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 15.6 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Cortland County
Do SBA loans in Cortland County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded9
- Paid in full9
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full9
- Status: Exempt from disclosure21
- Status: Cancelled2
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 9 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Cortland County
Which parts of Cortland County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending8
- CORTLAND, approvals21
- Homer, approvals3
- DE RUYTER, approvals2
- MARATHON, approvals2
- DERUYTER, approvals1
- WILLET, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| CORTLAND | 21 | $11,161,300 |
| Homer | 3 | $236,000 |
| DE RUYTER | 2 | $2,650,000 |
| MARATHON | 2 | $475,200 |
| DERUYTER | 1 | $150,000 |
| WILLET | 1 | $17,000 |
| HARFORD | 1 | $30,000 |
| DRYDEN | 1 | $10,000 |
CORTLAND accounts for 21 approvals against 3 in Homer. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Cortland County
How big is Cortland County
- Land area499 sq mi
- Rank by land area among New York counties43rd of 62
- Width, east to west20.9 mi
- Height, north to south26.5 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary7
- Residents per square mile of land93
- Establishments per square mile1.97
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Cortland County
What hazards affect Cortland County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book19
- Of those, participating in the NFIP18
- NFIP participation rate94.7 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
The EPA places the county in radon zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L.
US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001. FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Cortland County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Cortland County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population46,246
- Households18,999
- Average household size2.43
- Median household income$70,418
- Median age37.0
Common questions
Cortland County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Cortland County, New York?
46,246, in 18,999 households, ranking 52nd of 62 New York counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Cortland County growing?
The population has fallen 1.84 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 444 births against 482 deaths, with net migration of 26. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Cortland County?
$70,418. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $162,100, which is 2.3 times income, and median gross rent is $984 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Cortland County?
981 establishments, employing 14,353 people with an annual payroll of $618.8 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Cortland County?
Average annual pay is $55,778, or $1,073 a week, across 16,911 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Cortland County?
32 7(a) approvals totalling $14.7 m since FY2020, across 11 lenders, with a median approval of $121,700, plus 7 504 approvals worth $1.9 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Cortland County?
41 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $7.9 m. Multifamily was 41.5 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Cortland County?
Zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Cortland County come from?
The largest single origin is Cortland County Non-migrants, with 16,733 households. Arriving households report an average income of $53,484 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Cortland County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Cortland County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.