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Of about 3,839 rented homes in Cortland, 96% rent for under $2,000 a month and 98% for under $3,000.
Under $1,000: 61%
$1,000 to $1,499: 30%
$1,500 to $1,999: 5%
$2,000 to $2,499: 2%
$2,500 to $2,999: 0%
$3,000 or more: 2%
Census American Community Survey 2019 to 2023 (table B25063). Gross rent includes utilities the renter pays. Today's asking rents for open apartments usually run higher.
What moving costs
Hiring movers
Average cost: $1,946
From a 2025 survey of 1,000 people who hired movers. This Old House. Your quote depends on your stuff, stairs and the time of year.
Moving in as a renter
The middle rented home in Cortland rents for under $1,000 a month. Before you get the keys, expect about under $2,000 for first month plus a deposit, or up to under $3,000 where landlords also ask for last month.
Many landlords want your income to be about 3 times the rent. For rent under $1,000, that's a yearly income of about under $36,000.
Estimate from Census rent data (2019 to 2023, rent plus tenant-paid utilities). Deposits and fees vary by landlord and state law.
Moving to New York: before and after
Forward your mail: USPS change of address. It costs about $1 online to confirm who you are.
Switch your driver's license and car registration. Each state sets its own deadline, often somewhere between 10 days and a few months after you move. Find the New York DMV.
Set up power, gas, water and trash. Some cities bill water and trash together, and some ask new customers for a deposit.
Update your address with your bank, employer, insurance and the IRS (Form 8822 if you're not filing soon).
Find a doctor and dentist early. New-patient waits can be weeks, even in big cities.
Schools
5 public school districts in this county, with about 5,702 students in all. The county also has 1 public charter school and 4 private schools. Which public school serves a home depends on its address.
Public Public charter Private County line District that covers the center of Cortland: Cortland City School District
District and county lines: U.S. Census Bureau. Tap a dot for details. A home's assigned school depends on its address; check with the district before you buy or rent.
Closest public schools to the center of Cortland
Elementary
Randall Middle School0.5 mi
Public
grades 5 to 6 · 263 students · 10.1 per teacher
Passed the state test: reading about 38%, math about 29% (state: reading about 47%, math about 40%)
Fe Smith Intermediate School1.0 mi
Public
grades 3 to 4 · 272 students · 10.9 per teacher
Passed the state test: reading about 22%, math about 32% (state: reading about 47%, math about 40%)
Franklyn S Barry Primary School1.2 mi
Public
grades Pre-K to 2 · 458 students · 12.7 per teacher
Middle
Randall Middle School0.5 mi
Public
grades 5 to 6 · 263 students · 10.1 per teacher
Passed the state test: reading about 38%, math about 29% (state: reading about 47%, math about 40%)
Cortland Junior High School0.9 mi
Public
grades 7 to 8 · 277 students · 9.9 per teacher
Passed the state test: reading about 37%, math about 17% (state: reading about 47%, math about 40%)
Homer Junior High School3.0 mi
Public
grades 6 to 8 · 388 students · 8.4 per teacher
Passed the state test: reading about 50%, math about 39% (state: reading about 47%, math about 40%)
High school
Cortland High School0.9 mi
Public
grades 9 to 12 · 592 students · 10.4 per teacher
Homer Senior High School2.1 mi
Public
grades 9 to 12 · 558 students · 10.3 per teacher
Mcgraw Secondary School4.3 mi
Public
grades 6 to 12 · 266 students · 7.6 per teacher
Passed the state test: reading about 44%, math about 35% (state: reading about 47%, math about 40%)
Private
St Mary'S School0.3 mi
Private
grades Pre-K to 6 · 101 students · 8.6 per teacher
Cortland Christian Academy1.0 mi
Private
grades K to 12 · 95 students · 8.8 per teacher
Jennings Ck Amish School13.2 mi
Private
grades 1 to 8 · 23 students · 23 per teacher
Straight-line miles from the center of Cortland, nearest first. Being closest doesn't mean a school serves a given home. "Passed the state test" is the share of students who scored proficient or better on New York's own reading and math tests in the 2021-22 school year, the latest year the U.S. Department of Education has published for every school. Each state sets its own test and passing bar, so compare schools within the same state, not across states. Test results track family income closely and leave out a lot (teachers, programs, how a school fits your child). For newer results, see the state's school report card.
532 students · 9.5 students per teacher · 2 schools · grades Pre-K to 12
School choice and pre-K in New York
Going to school in another district
State law lets each district decide whether to take students from other districts. Some do, some don't; ask the district you'd like.
Picking a different school in your district
State law doesn't set a rule for switching schools within a district; it's up to each district.
Free state pre-K
56% of 4-year-olds and 17% of 3-year-olds in New York attend state-funded pre-K (U.S.: 37% and 9%). Spots, hours and who qualifies vary by district.
School choice: state law as summarized by the Education Commission of the States, 50-State Comparison: Open Enrollment Policies (2022). Pre-K: share of children in state-funded pre-K, National Institute for Early Education Research, State of Preschool 2025 Yearbook (2024-25 school year).
NCES Common Core of Data 2022-23, National Center for Education Statistics. Private schools: NCES Private School Survey, 2021-22. Varro doesn't rate or rank schools. For programs and newer results, see each district's site and the state's school report card.
Childcare and colleges
Daycare and preschool
New York keeps an official list of licensed childcare, with inspection reports and openings in many states. In a lot of towns, infant spots fill up months ahead, so it helps to get on waitlists before you move.
Typical full-time prices in this county (2022)
Age
Daycare center
Home daycare
Infant (under 2)
$247/week
about $12,800 a year
$190/week
about $9,900 a year
Toddler (2)
$230/week
about $12,000 a year
Preschool (3 to 4)
$200/week
about $10,400 a year
$175/week
about $9,100 a year
School-age
$194/week
about $10,100 a year
For an infant at a center: $247/week here, $296 across NY, $259 across the U.S.. Full-time infant care at a center here costs about 16% of a typical family's income. These are 2022 prices, the newest the government has published by county, and prices have gone up since.
U.S. Department of Labor, National Database of Childcare Prices, 2022. Middle (median) price for full-time care. State and U.S. figures average the county prices, weighted by population (Census 2024).
Public, 4-year · 6,780 students · $8,815 in-state, $18,725 out-of-state
Moving for school? Public colleges charge state residents much less. Most states want you to have lived there about 12 months, for reasons other than school, before you count as a resident for tuition. The rules differ by state, so check with the college's registrar.
IPEDS 2023-24, National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS). Degree-granting public and nonprofit schools with 100+ students. Varro doesn't rank colleges.
The facts behind it
Data centers nearby
None within 15 miles
No mapped data center buildings near the town center.
Source: PNNL IM3 Data Center Atlas, from OpenStreetMap (ODbL)
Homeowners insurance
About $1,683 a year
The statewide average for a typical policy in NY. Your own quote will depend on the home.
Source: Statewide estimate, 2026
Natural disaster risk
Relatively Low
FEMA's overall rating for the county, covering floods, storms, wildfire, earthquakes and more.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Hail risk
Very Low
FEMA's rating for hail damage in the county, compared with other U.S. counties.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Hospitals nearby
1 within 5 miles
Hospitals mapped within 5 miles of the center. Emergency and specialty care vary, so check which ones fit your needs.
Source: OpenStreetMap (ODbL)
Drug overdose deaths (county)
Fewer than 10 a year
The CDC doesn't publish exact counts under 10. NY average: 8.9 per 100,000. U.S.: 19.9. Counts are by where people lived, and recent months may still be updated.
Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, provisional counts through March 2026; Census population estimates 2024
People without housing (local count)
About 24.5 per 10,000 residents
HUD's one-night count in January 2025 found 1,080 people without housing in the Binghamton, Union Town/Broome, Otsego, Chenango, Delaware, Cortland, Tioga Counties area (6 counties): 989 in shelters and 91 outside, up from 800 in 2024. NY: 73.3 per 10,000. U.S.: 21.9. One-night counts miss people, and how areas count differs.
Source: HUD Point-in-Time Count, January 2025 (HUD, 2025 report to Congress); Census population estimates 2024
Median household income
$67,527
Half of households in the county earn more than this, half earn less.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
Property tax
2.65% of home value a year
About $2,650 a year for every $100,000 of home value.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
State income tax
Graduated, up to 10.90%
NY's state income tax. Some cities and counties add their own.