Can A Registered Nurse Afford Rent in Ithaca, NY?
Comfortably affordable — rent takes 21.5% of gross income.
Ithaca rent: July 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (New York state estimate).
About rent and a registered nurse salary
Rent is the single largest fixed cost most renters carry, and the rent-to-income ratio is the simplest measure of whether a city is livable on a given salary. For renters earning a typical registered-nurse income, the 30% rule supports about $2,360 a month in rent. That margin covers comfortable one-bedroom rent in the vast majority of US metros but tightens significantly in the highest-rent coastal cities, where rent can claim 40% or more of an RN paycheck. The per-city pages below show the local rent, the local nurse-pay estimate, and where that combination sits on the affordability scale.
Cheaper rent nearby
These New York cities have lower median rent than Ithaca, which improves the affordability math on a registered nurse salary:
Compare with full rent data for Ithaca
View full rent data for Ithaca, NY →Frequently asked questions
Can a registered nurse afford rent in Ithaca, NY?
Median rent in Ithaca is $1,926 a month. A typical registered nurse in New York earns about $107,707 a year, which makes that rent 21.5% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.
How much rent can a registered nurse afford in Ithaca?
Using the 30% rule, a registered nurse salary in New York (~$107,707/yr) supports up to $2,693 a month in rent. Ithaca's current median rent is $1,926/mo, which leaves a $767/mo buffer.
How many hours does a registered nurse work to cover rent in Ithaca?
At an hourly equivalent of about $52 an hour, a registered nurse in New York works roughly 37.2 hours a month to cover Ithaca's median rent of $1,926.
Where is rent cheaper than Ithaca for a registered nurse?
Nearby New York cities with lower median rent include Poughkeepsie ($1,925/mo), East Syracuse ($1,925/mo), Newburgh ($1,925/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a registered nurse salary.