
Elmira, NY
The numbers that matter most
What an investor checks first when sizing up a new metro — affordability ratio, rent vs income, cap rate proxy, and where the market is moving. Each metric shown vs. state and national medians for instant context.
affordable
Price to income
2.08×
The single most-cited 'is this market still cheap' check. Below 3× and you're in an affordability tailwind.
- vs New York
- 2.92×-0.84
- vs U.S.
- 3.43×-1.35
Benchmark
ACS median home value ÷ median HHI
comfortable
Rent to income
24.3%
What share of a typical household's income goes to rent. Below 30% means tenants can absorb modest rent increases.
- vs New York
- 23.7%
- vs U.S.
- 23.3%
Benchmark
(HUD FMR 2BR × 12) ÷ median HHI
solid
Cap rate proxy
7.58%
Rough first-pass yield assuming a 35% expense ratio. Not an underwriting number — a 'is this even worth modeling' filter.
- vs New York
- 5.04%+2.54
- vs U.S.
- 4.35%+3.23
Benchmark
(FMR 2BR × 12 × 0.65) ÷ ACS median home value
shrinking
Net migration
-0.02%
Forward-looking demand signal. Positive net migration drives rent growth and absorbs new supply.
- vs New York
- -0.11%+0.09
- vs U.S.
- 0.03%
Benchmark
IRS net migration ÷ population
tight
Permit pipeline
1.26
permits per 1,000 residents
Forward-supply indicator. Above ~5 means the metro is building meaningfully relative to its size; below 2 means supply is tight.
- vs New York
- 2.37
- vs U.S.
- 3.52
Benchmark
Census BPS permits TTM ÷ population × 1,000
healthy
Unemployment
3.7%
Tighter unemployment means higher wages, more rental demand, lower vacancy.
- vs New York
- 3.9%-0.1
- vs U.S.
- 3.9%-0.2
Benchmark
BLS LAUS, latest month
Where prices are and where they've been
5-year price appreciation
+41.1%
homeValues.yearOverYear
+1.8%
Median home value
$132,100
The rent ladder
| Bedroom | Monthly | Annual | % of median HHI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 BR | $978 | $11,736 | 18.5% |
| 2 BR | $1,283 | $15,396 | 24.3% |
| 3 BR | $1,606 | $19,272 | 30.4% |
Labor market direction
Unemployment
3.7%
Median household income
$63,469
What's being built
Total TTM
105
+32.9% YoY
Single-family
32
2–4 unit
6
5+ unit
67
All 1 counties, ranked by population
| County | Population | Home value | Median HHI | Permits TTM | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chemung County | 83,584 | $132,100 | $63,469 | 105 | +32.9% |
Similar metros nationally
| Metro | Pop | Med HHI | P/I | Cap proxy | HPI 5y | Permits/1k | Unemp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ★Elmira | 83,584 | $63,469 | 2.08× | 7.58% | +41.1% | 1.26 | 3.7% |
| Kokomo, IN | 83,452 | $62,496 | — | — | +58.4% | — | 4.0% |
| Bloomsburg-Berwick, PA | 83,089 | $61,992 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Great Falls, MT | 84,423 | $66,203 | — | — | +63.6% | — | 3.7% |
| Hinesville, GA | 82,354 | $60,329 | — | — | +67.8% | — | 3.7% |
| Grants Pass, OR | 87,994 | $59,097 | — | — | +29.4% | — | 6.8% |
Where people are moving in from
Net migration
-13
-0.02% of population
| Origin county | Tax returns |
|---|---|
| Steuben County, NY | 300 |
| Bradford County, PA | 99 |
| Schuyler County, NY | 97 |
| Tioga County, NY | 93 |
| Tompkins County, NY | 70 |
| Tioga County, PA | 39 |
Who lives in Elmira
- Median age
- 42
- Bachelor's+
- 26.9%
- Owner-occupancy
- 69.8%
- Vacancy rate
- 10.8%
- Rent burdened (30%+)
- 49.1%
- Median household income
- $63,469
This page shows federally sourced data. A full editorial analysis with charts and investment commentary is in progress.
