Madison, Onondaga and Oswego Counties

Metropolitan Syracuse is home to roughly 663,000 people, based on the 2010 Census, an increase of a modest 1.9 percent from 2000. The majority of the population in the metropolitan area resides in the city of Syracuse and the surrounding county of Onondaga, which includes approximately 70 percent of the three-county population. The two remaining counties are predominantly suburban and rural, and are much less thickly populated. Madison County's population expanded by nearly 6 percent between 2000 and 2010, making it, by far, the fastest growing of these three counties. Onondaga's population rose by just under 2 percent, while Oswego's population was little changed.

The metro area's demographic mix is somewhat less diverse than the nation's and considerably less diverse than New York State's. Blacks, Asians and Hispanics all represent a below-average proportion of the population in all three counties. On many socioeconomic dimensions, this metro area resembles the U.S. population as a whole. Median household income was close to $50,000 in 2009, below the New York State median but almost identical to the nationwide level; Onondaga and Madison counties have somewhat higher incomes than Oswego County. According to the 2010 Census, 28 percent of adults held a college degree—again on par with the U.S., but below the statewide average. Onondaga residents are substantially more likely to hold college degrees than residents of the other counties. The median home value, based on 2009 estimates, ranged from $89,000 in Oswego County to roughly $124,000 in Onondaga County.

The Syracuse metropolitan area's industry mix closely parallels the nation's. Manufacturing accounts for roughly 11 percent of employment—in line with the national average. In particular, computer & electronics manufacturing is highly concentrated in the metro area, especially in Onondaga County. Educational services is also a major industry, led by Syracuse University in Onondaga County and Colgate University in Madison County.

In terms of economic performance, this metro area's economy lagged the nation's during the last economic expansion: employment grew only marginally, while home prices rose by roughly 50 percent from 2000-07, compared with a nearly 100 percent increase nationally¹. However, metropolitan Syracuse weathered the economic downturn relatively well: employment fell by roughly 4 percent—compared with a 6½ percent nationwide decline—and home prices declined by less than 10 percent, versus more than 30 percent nationally. Both employment and home prices have begun to recover.

Recent Trends
Thus far in 2011, metropolitan Syracuse has seen moderate job gains, in line with the nationwide average. Virtually all of the job gains in 2011 have been in professional & business services and state & local government. However, the manufacturing, retail trade, and leisure & hospitality sectors have seen moderate job losses. Overall the metro area has recouped about a third of the jobs that it lost during the downturn. Home prices, which did not decline substantially during the downturn, slipped in early 2011 but rebounded during the summer and are close to their previous peak.

	Syracuse MSA*: selected characteristics
		Population in 2010			% of 2010 Population that is1
		Total Population1	% Change from 20001	per Sq. Mile2	Black	Hispanic	Asian
	Syracuse Metro Area	662,577	1.9	277	8.1	3.4	2.4
	Madison	73,442	5.8	112	1.8	1.8	0.8
	Onondaga	467,026	1.9	599	11.0	4.0	3.1
	Oswego	122,109	-0.2	128	0.8	2.1	0.6
	New York State	19,378,102	2.1	410	15.9	17.6	7.3
	USA	308,745,538	9.7	87	12.6	16.3	4.8

	Syracuse MSA*: selected characteristics
		Median		% of Homes	% of Adults with5
		Household Income3	Home Value4	Owner Occupied4	College Degrees	HS Degrees
	Syracuse Metro Area	$49,850	$114,800	69.2	27.7	88.3
	Madison	$52,450	$112,700	76.2	21.3	87.7
	Onondaga	$50,689	$124,400	66.6	31.9	88.9
	Oswego	$45,704	$89,400	74.2	15.5	86.2
	New York State	$54,659	$310,100	55.4	31.8	84.2
	USA	$50,221	$191,900	66.4	27.5	84.6
* Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) are metro areas defined by the Office of Management and Budget for use by federal statistical agencies. 1 Source: US Bureau of the Census, decennial Census of Population. 2 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Population; land area data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s geographic database (TIGER® database) for Census 2000. 3 Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, American Community Survey, 2009 (1-year estimates) 4 Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, American Community Survey, 2007-09 (3-year estimates) 5 Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, American Community Survey, 2006-08 (3-year estimates)

November 2011