South HillNY
It is a town of 6,951 residents in New York.
Is South Hill a good place to live?
68% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in South Hill, where New York’s towns sit at 32% and U.S. towns at 29%. Only 2 of the 759 New York towns we compare have a lower share of children under 18 than South Hill. South Hill’s trail density is 2.6 miles per square mile, above both New York’s towns (0.4) and U.S. towns (0.4). The biggest place to walk is South Hill Natural Area East, 337 acres with 4.1 miles of trail. We don’t grade South Hill yet; the figures below are still real.
What makes South Hill stand out
Where South Hill beats most towns.
Every workday, about 3,148 people come to South Hill for work
Where South Hill’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
The data
Ordered by what stands out in South Hill.
With 2.0 jobs for every working resident, South Hill draws in 3,148 commuters
South Hill had 3,337 jobs in 2023, down 347 from 2013. Most people who work leave South Hill to do it: just 11% work in town. Its mean commuting time comes in at 18 minutes. The top destinations are Ithaca (33%), Ithaca (14%) and New York (6%).
| South Hill | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $104,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 11% | 10% | 8% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
South Hill has set aside 24.5% of its land for conservation
Across 3 parks and preserves: 16 miles of trail.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. South Hill Natural Area East | 4.1 mi | 337 |
| 2. Buttermilk Falls State Park | 3.6 mi | 333 |
| 3. South Hill Natural Area West | 1.8 mi | 67 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The climate in South Hill brings snowy winters and pleasant summers
South Hill’s midsummer high comes in at 81°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazards: low risk in South Hill, mostly inland flooding
Of the losses FEMA expects in South Hill, 77% come from inland flooding and 10% from tornadoes. Expected damage from storms and floods is lower here than in 63% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
More of South Hill’s adults report frequent mental distress than in the typical New York or U.S. town
For adults in South Hill, the share who have been diagnosed with depression is 28%. Among 756 New York towns, just one has a higher share of adults who feel lonely than South Hill. Against the New York average, South Hill comes out ahead on 17 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 9.
| South Hill | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 33% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 4.3% | 11% | 12% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 16% | 17% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 17% | 16% |
| What stands out | South Hill | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 4.3% | 11.5% |
| Fewer adults who have had a stroke | 1.5% | 3.4% |
| More adults with depression | 28% | 17.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The median home in South Hill sells for about $433K
The share of households in South Hill who live in a home they own: 66%. South Hill’s median rent stands at $1,991 a month.
| South Hill | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,991 a month | $1,101 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 66% | 75% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Everything we know about South Hill
Seneca Lake and 24 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around South Hill. Close and well known come first.
27 mi LakeSeneca Lake
22 mi LakeCayuga Lake
2 mi Stadium & arenaSchoellkopf Field
11 mi State parkTaughannock Falls State Park
20 mi State parkWatkins Glen State Park
3 mi MuseumHerbert F. Johnson Museum of Art80K visitors a yearPhoto credits
Seneca Lake: RochesterNY, Public domain · Cayuga Lake: The original uploader was Cornellrockey at English Wikipedia. Later versions we, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Schoellkopf Field: Alex Sergeev, (www.asergeev.com) Originally uploaded by en:User:Cornell010, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Taughannock Falls State Park: Michael C. Rygel, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Watkins Glen State Park: Flickr user: Peter Rivera Stamford, Connecticut https://www.flickr.com/people/ri, CC BY 2.0 · Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art: Dmadeo, CC BY-SA 3.0
Moving to South Hill: who provides what
South Hill is unincorporated, so Tompkins County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of South Hill
College town 69 of every 100 South Hill residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
About South Hill
CDP in New York, United States
South Hill is a census-designated place (CDP) in Tompkins County, New York, United States. The population was 7,245 at the 2020 census. The South Hill CDP is located within the town of Ithaca and it is located near the south end of Cayuga Lake. The name South Hill is shared with a contiguous area within the city of Ithaca. Ithaca College is located in the South Hill CDP.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 6.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 778 ft
South Hill’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with South Hill.
| Town | NY rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Hill | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| East Ithaca | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ithaca | – | C+ | D− | C− | B | A |
South Hill and East Ithaca aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare South Hill with a neighbor →
Questions about South Hill
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is South Hill, NY a good place to live?
We don’t grade South Hill yet; the figures below are still real.
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