Cayuga County, New York, 2008
Ira’s story
205 years in pictures
Census counts: 2,198 in 1830, 2,145 in 2020. The archive holds 13 old photos and papers going back to 1904 and 3 maps from 1902 on.
- 1821Ira is founded
IraNY
Population
2,109
2025 Census estimate · −1.8% since 2020
Median home value
$159K
Census ACS
Household income
$97K
median
Median age
42.8
years
Jobs based here
474
A commuter town
Is Ira a good place to live?
The best of Ira’s subject grades are an A− for incomes and a B+ for history. Ira’s average trip to work is 30 minutes, against 25 minutes in New York’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. On the outdoors, just 119 of New York’s 1,216 towns do worse. Ira has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Ira stand out
Where Ira beats most towns.
A commuter town
89% of working residents leave Ira for work
Where Ira’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
474jobs based in Ira
11%of working residents work in town
20 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Ira grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New York), ordered by how far Ira is from typical.
Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 16% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listAOpen →Jobs & income$97K median household incomeA−Open →Cost of livingTypical home $159K, 2.3 years of the Auburn area’s $68K median household incomeB+Open →HealthOswego Hospital 11.2 miles awayC+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.3 of 20; 3.9% of households have no car; 5.5% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB−Open →SchoolsB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors4 miles of trails; 0% conserved landCOpen →History1 notable person born hereB+Open →Civic life4.9 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Ira: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Ira, and how to reach them.
PowerRochester Gas & Electric22.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCato Village water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers93% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Ira’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn New York you can register online until 10 days before Election Day, in person until 10 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before and received 10 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereCayuga County Board of ElectionsCayuga County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP codes13033, 13074, 13111, 1302713033 83% · 13074 9% · 13111 7% · 13027 2%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Ira.
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A
Inland flooding leads a very low hazard risk in Ira
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 84% of U.S. communities.
16risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingStrong wind
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
SchoolsB−
Ira’s schools rank ahead of 52% of New York districts
Its public schools are run by the Cato-Meridian Central School District. Its two schools are below. The largest public high school is Cato-Meridian Junior-Senior High School, with 383 students.
52%of NY districts it outscoresB−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cato-Meridian Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 463 | C+ |
| Cato-Meridian Junior-Senior High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 383 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NY on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A−
Ira has 0.5 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Ira for work: only 11% work in town. 4.6% of residents live below the poverty line in Ira, where New York’s towns sit at 9.5% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Since 2013, Ira has added 122 jobs, to 474 in 2023.
11%work in town
| Ira | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 4.6% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $97,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 11% | 10% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Ira11%
Syracuse11%
DeWitt7%
Lysander6%
Auburn4%
20 mi
median commute distance
474
jobs based in Ira
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 45% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Ira
Ira has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Ira’s July high is 81°F.
79″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter19–33°
Spring35–55°
Summer58–79°
Fall42–60°
Oct 16
typical first frost
May 2
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthC+
Residents of Ira are less healthy than 64% of U.S. towns
Ira beats the New York average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 10. 17% of Ira adults smoke cigarettes.
36%healthier than U.S. townsC+Health Grade
| Ira | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 13% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 14% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 16% | 17% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 25% | 25% |
32 measures vs. New York
1 better21 too close to call10 worse
| What stands out | Ira | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6.4% | 7.9% |
| More smokers | 17.2% | 11.3% |
Oswego Hospital
11.2 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: primary care
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
OutdoorsC
Ira has set aside 0.3% of its land for conservation
3.6 miles of trail in 0 parks and preserves. The trail density in Ira is 0.1 miles per square mile.
0.3%conserved
| Ira | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.3% | 5.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
0.3%
conserved · 67 of 22,192 acres
3.6 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HousingCost of living grade B+
A home in Ira sells for about $170K at the median
89% of households own their home in Ira.
$170Kmedian sale price
2
homes sold in April
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 50 attractions →JMA Wireless Dome and 21 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Ira. Close and well known come first.
23 mi Stadium & arenaJMA Wireless Dome
18 mi LakeOnondaga Lake
37 mi LakeCayuga Lake
38 mi MountainCumorah
18 mi LandmarkFort Ontario
22 mi Stadium & arenaOncenter War Memorial ArenaSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
JMA Wireless Dome: Jimhoward03, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Onondaga Lake: R. A. Nonenmacher, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cayuga Lake: The original uploader was Cornellrockey at English Wikipedia. Later versions we, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Cumorah: Hillcumorahpageantstage.jpg: la salebete derivative work: Eustress (talk), CC BY-SA 2.0 · Fort Ontario: Ad Meskens, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Oncenter War Memorial Arena: Crazyale, Public domain
.jpg){kind=link}
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Ira
19pages on Ira
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Ira; the nearest are
Bryant & Stratton College-Syracuse NorthUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Liverpool15.7 mi$18,768 tuitionState University of New York at OswegoUniversity or college · Public · Oswego16.9 mi$8,825 in-state tuitionCayuga County Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Auburn18.4 mi$7,056 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 Ira residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
About Ira
Town in New York, United States
Ira is a town in Cayuga County, New York, United States. The population was 2,145 at the 2020 census. The town is in the northern part of the county and is northwest of Syracuse.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 35 sq mi
- Elevation
- 456 ft
Ira’s neighbors
5 towns share a border with Ira.
CatoLysanderVictoryHannibalGranbyIra
How the neighbors grade
| Town | NY rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ira | — | — | B+ | — | B− | C+ |
| Cato | — | — | B− | — | B | B− |
| Lysander | #304 | B | C | — | B+ | B+ |
| Victory | — | — | B− | — | C+ | C |
| Hannibal | #690 | D | B | — | C− | C |
| Granby | #559 | C | B | — | C− | C |
Ira, Cato and Victory have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Ira, Cato, Lysander, Victory, Hannibal and Granby report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Ira with a neighbor →
Questions about Ira
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Ira, NY expensive?
Not for the area. The typical home is worth about $159,000, 70% below the New York typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.