Elmira is located in the Southern Tier region of New York State near the Pennsylvania border, and the metropolitan area is home to almost 85,000 people. As in other parts of upstate New York that are dependent on manufacturing, Elmira’s economy has been struggling for decades. The area has seen a significant decline in its population, and its manufacturing base has been cut in half since the 1990s. The education and health care sector has been a stabilizing force in the metropolitan area, though this and other sectors have seen little growth.
Economic and Demographic Trends
| Elmira | Ithaca* | Binghamton* | New York State | USA | |
| Population1 | 84,000 | 106,000 | 247,000 | 20,201,000 | 331,449,000 |
| Pop growth, 10-year change1 | -5.3% | 4.1% | -1.8% | 4.2% | 7.4% |
| GDP, billions1 | $4 | $6 | $11 | $1,725 | $20,894 |
| Job growth, 5-year change2 | -8.0% | -6.2% | -8.1% | -4.1% | 1.2% |
| Median household income1 | $53,000 | $63,800 | $52,200 | $72,600 | $67,000 |
| Median home price1 | $112,000 | $210,000 | $125,000 | $350,000 | $250,000 |
| Pop share age 25+ with BA+1 | 26.2% | 52.4% | 28.3% | 39.4% | 35.1% |
