Oneonta is a small town with a large college student population. Because of this, there is a real youthful, hip vibe to the place, and much of the life in the town is centered on the college. This has helped Oneonta to buck the trend of other small towns that have suffered declining populations over the past 20 to 30 years. Spending by students, and faculty and staff jobs, are a big part of the local economy.
Oneonta, while not large, also appears to be attractive to some younger, educated professionals, who help shape the character of the city.
Compared to the rest of the country, citizens of Oneonta spend much less time in their cars: on average, their commute to work is only 15.65 minutes. This also means that noise and pollution levels in the city are less than they would otherwise be.
The education level of Oneonta ranks among the highest in the nation. Of the 25-and-older adult population in Oneonta, 48.79% have at least a bachelor's degree. The typical US community has just 21.84% of its adults holding a bachelor's degree or graduate degree.
The per capita income in Oneonta in 2022 was $27,061, which is low income relative to New York, and lower middle income relative to the rest of the US. This equates to an annual income of $108,244 for a family of four. However, Oneonta contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.
Oneonta is a somewhat ethnically-diverse city. The people who call Oneonta home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Oneonta residents report their race to be White, followed by Black or African-American. Important ancestries of people in Oneonta include Irish, Italian, German, English, and Polish.
The most common language spoken in Oneonta is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and Chinese.
