In this report, Central New York is defined as Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, Onondaga, and Oswego counties. This region has a total population of 791,939, with 69% of that population living in urban areas. Population density in the region varies, from a high of 600 people per square mile in Onondaga County to a low of 99 people per square mile in Cortland County.
The region is more racially/ethnically homogenous than the overall figures for the United States: 86.8% white versus 77.9% for the nation as a whole; 7.3% black versus 13.1%; 3.2% Hispanic versus 16.9%. In terms of education, 11.5% of residents of the region never completed high school; 27.1% have at least a bachelor’s degree, while 11.0% have a graduate or professional degree. The per capita income for the region is $25,349, while the mean household income is $63,542. The unemployment rate is 7.7%, with a labor force of 371,205. 13.5% of individuals fall below the poverty line.
Healthcare and education are dominant sectors of the region’s economy, with 28.4% of the workforce employed in these sectors. Sales comprise another 14.6% of the workforce, while manufacturing employs 10.8% of the workforce. Agriculture is a major industry: while 21% of the acreage in New York State is devoted to agricultural output (including cropland and pastureland), 34% of the land in CNY is used for such purposes (from a high of 54% in Cayuga County through a low of 15% in Oswego County).
Many of the region’s emergencies center on extreme weather, particularly severe winter storms and flooding in spring. Additional emergency risks relate to nuclear power: FEMA-defined Ingestion Pathway Zones—50 miles around nuclear plants—for the Nine Mile Point and R.E. Ginna reactors include parts of the region.