Cortland County Demographics

A map of Cortland County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	41,258	40,801	89.2%	87.2%
Hispanic	1,666	1,658	3.6%	3.5%
Multiracial	1,655	2,180	3.6%	4.7%
Black	770	829	1.7%	1.8%
Asian	656	1,018	1.4%	2.2%
Native American/Other	241	323	0.5%	0.7%

Cortland County, New York has an estimated population of 46,246, a slight decrease from the 46,809 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 89.2% White, 3.6% Hispanic, 3.6% Multiracial, 1.7% Black, 1.4% Asian, and 0.5% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Cortland County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Cortland has become less racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than New York overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Cortland County, that probability was 23.6% in 2020 and 20.1% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Cortland County is ranked the 52nd most populous county in New York, out of 62 counties. Cortland County was ranked the 51st most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Cortland County's White Population

41,258 residents of Cortland County, or 89.2% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Cortland County is significantly higher than in New York overall, where 52.8% of the population is White. Cortland County ranks 24th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 62 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Cortland County's White population has grown by an estimated 1.1%. White residents' share of Cortland County's population has increased from 87.2% to 89.2%.

Cortland County is more White than neighboring Tompkins County (73.7% White), Onondaga County (73.8% White), and Broome County (79.3% White). Cortland County is less White than neighboring Chenango County (92.3% White), and Tioga County (92.5% White).

Cortland County's Black Population

770 residents of Cortland County, or 1.7% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Cortland County is considerably lower than in New York overall, where 13.4% of the population is Black. Cortland County ranks 45th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 62 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Cortland County's Black population has declined by an estimated 7.1%. Black residents' share of Cortland County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.7%.

Cortland County is more Black than neighboring Chenango County (0.7% Black), and Tioga County (1.3% Black). Cortland County is less Black than neighboring Tompkins County (3.6% Black), Onondaga County (10.2% Black), and Broome County (5.1% Black).

Cortland County's Asian Population

656 residents of Cortland County, or 1.4% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Cortland County is lower than in New York overall, where 9% of the population is Asian. Cortland County ranks 24th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 62 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Cortland County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 35.6%. Asian residents' share of Cortland County's population has decreased from 2.2% to 1.4%.

Cortland County is more Asian than neighboring Chenango County (0.5% Asian), and Tioga County (0.9% Asian). Cortland County is less Asian than neighboring Tompkins County (10.1% Asian), Onondaga County (4.1% Asian), and Broome County (5.1% Asian).

Cortland County's Hispanic Population

1,666 residents of Cortland County, or 3.6% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Cortland County is significantly lower than in New York overall, where 19.8% of the population is Hispanic. Cortland County ranks 43rd statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 62 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Cortland County's Hispanic population has remained roughly the same. Hispanic residents' share of Cortland County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 3.6%.

Cortland County is more Hispanic than neighboring Chenango County (2.5% Hispanic), and Tioga County (2.4% Hispanic). Cortland County is less Hispanic than neighboring Tompkins County (6.6% Hispanic), Onondaga County (5.9% Hispanic), and Broome County (5.6% Hispanic).

Cortland County's Native American/Other Population

241 residents of Cortland County, or 0.5% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Cortland County is comparable to the share in New York overall, where 1.2% of the population is Native American/Other. Cortland County ranks 32nd statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 62 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Cortland County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 25.4%. Native American/Other residents' share of Cortland County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.5%.

Cortland County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Tioga County (0.3% Native American/Other), and Broome County (0.4% Native American/Other). Cortland County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Tompkins County (1.3% Native American/Other), and Onondaga County (0.8% Native American/Other).

Cortland County's Multiracial Population

1,655 residents of Cortland County, or 3.6% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Cortland County is comparable to the share in New York overall, where 3.8% of the population is Multiracial. Cortland County ranks 15th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 62 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Cortland County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 24.1%. Multiracial residents' share of Cortland County's population has decreased from 4.7% to 3.6%.

Cortland County is more Multiracial than neighboring Chenango County (3.5% Multiracial), and Tioga County (2.5% Multiracial). Cortland County is less Multiracial than neighboring Tompkins County (4.7% Multiracial), Onondaga County (5.2% Multiracial), and Broome County (4.6% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.