Business profile
Chemung County, New York
Prepared Oct 10, 2026 by Elmira Next from public records. The live version, always current: elmiranext.com/profile
Also for each town: City of Elmira, Town of Big Flats, Town of Horseheads, Town of Southport, others →
- 82,147people
- 32,747jobs in Chemung County
- 1,937businesses and organizations
- 152new in public records in the last 12 months
People
- People
- 82,147
- Median age
- 42 years
- Median household income
- $63,716
- Below the poverty line
- 16%
- Adults 25+ with a bachelor’s degree or more
- 27%
- Median home value
- $141,100
- Median rent
- $1,059 a month
- Homes and apartments
- 39,252 (10% vacant)
Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates.
Workforce
- Labor force
- 35,612
- Unemployment rate
- 4.2%
- Employers
- 1,852
- Average weekly wage
- $1,248
Biggest industries by jobs
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (August 2026 (preliminary); wages Q1 2026); jobs by industry: Census Bureau LEHD 2023. More →
Businesses
Open businesses and organizations in Elmira Next’s directory, from state licenses, registrations, inspections and filings. 47% are run from home. The directory →
Getting here
- Highways: I-86 (the Southern Tier Expressway) crosses the county, with 13 exits in Chemung.
- Air: Elmira Corning Regional Airport (ELM), in Big Flats, had 106,375 passenger boardings in 2025, up 24% from 85,696 in 2024 (FAA). source Airlines and destinations change; check the airlines’ own schedules.
- Rail: Norfolk Southern’s Southern Tier line, and a planned rail-served logistics site in Horseheads.
How far (straight-line miles)
Ithaca 29 · Binghamton 46 · Syracuse 74 · Rochester 84 · Buffalo 119 · Albany 161 · Toronto 169 · Philadelphia 171 · New York City 174 · Pittsburgh 201 · Washington, DC 220 · Boston 295
From downtown Elmira, as the crow flies; driving distances are longer. Infrastructure →
Sites and space
- Retail, restaurants and shopping
- 876 parcels
- Offices and banks
- 164 parcels
- Auto and gas
- 292 parcels
- Industrial and warehouses
- 374 parcels
- Hotels, apartments and mobile home parks
- 442 parcels
- Vacant commercial and industrial land
- 645 parcels, 2,432 acres
- Other commercial
- 45 parcels
- Parcels in an Opportunity Zone (through 2026)
- 755
Sites ready for business
- Airport Corporate Park and Park South, Big Flats: Business park at I-86 Exit 50 (Kahler Rd) with full utilities including fiber; zoned for office and manufacturing. The Town of Big Flats gives 480 acres for the two parks; other listings give smaller figures. source
- Southern Tier Logistics site, Horseheads (North Main St): Planned rail-served logistics site of about 765,000 sq ft, described by the state as the Southern Tier’s first Foreign Trade Zone; a $4 million FAST NY grant to the County IDA (March 2024) pays for rail, water, sewer and stormwater work. source
- Former Southport Correctional Facility: 408 acres with water, sewer, electric and gas, near I-86; the prison closed in March 2022 and the state sought redevelopment ideas in 2024. source
County parcel map and NYS assessment rolls. Properties →
Incentives
- Chemung County IDA
- Property, sales and mortgage tax breaks and low-interest loans. 49 current projects report 2,405 full-time jobs.
- Empire State Development
- State grants and tax credits: $25.9 million in 75 reported awards to Chemung projects.
- Opportunity Zones
- Census tracts 6, 7 (downtown Elmira) and 10 until Dec 31, 2026; a new federal map takes effect Jan 1, 2027.
- More
- REDEC gap financing, downtown Elmira façade and sign grants, the County Microenterprise Grant (outside the City).
Programs change: confirm with the agency. All programs, with sources →
Who to call
- Southern Tier Small Business Development Center (SBDC): Free, confidential one-on-one advising for new and existing businesses in 12 counties, including Chemung. 607-777-4024. binghamton.edu/centers/small-business-development
- SCORE Western New York: Free mentoring by experienced business people; covers the Southern Tier. score.org/ny/western-ny
- Southern Tier Economic Growth (STEG): The county’s economic development agency: sites and buildings, financing and incentives; administers the Chemung County IDA. 607-733-6513. steg.com
- Chemung County Chamber of Commerce: Business advocacy, networking, a member directory and Certificate of Origin service for exporters. chemungchamber.org
- Elmira Downtown Development: Downtown Elmira: matching façade grants (up to $2,000) and sign and awning grants (up to $500), after a consultation. (607) 333-5378. elmiradowntown.com/owners
- CSS Workforce NY: Helps businesses in Chemung, Schuyler and Steuben find workers and training funding. (607) 937-8337. corning-cc.edu/community-business/elmira-active-workforce/index.php
- SUNY Corning Community College workforce training: Customized training for employers at the company or at college sites in Corning, Horseheads and Elmira. 607-936-5501. workforce.corning-cc.edu/about.php
Elmira Next is an independent, free community site; it isn’t part of any government or of the organizations above. Every figure comes from public records, with its source on the site. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.