What Ecovillage at Ithaca does

Ecovillage at Ithaca is a non-profit cohousing community established in 1991 in Ithaca, New York, operating on 175 acres across three neighborhoods (TREE, SONG, and First Neighborhood) containing approximately 100 homes. The community is purpose-built around ecological sustainability, with housing constructed to LEED Platinum and Passive House standards, featuring passive solar design, super-insulation, Structurally Insulated Panels, straw-bale construction, triple-pane south-facing windows, energy recovery ventilators, and rooftop and ground-mounted solar arrays that generate over half of the community's electricity. Residents reportedly maintain an ecological footprint approximately 60% of the typical American household while accessing shared amenities including common houses, three community gardens, CSAs from four independently owned farms, saunas, swimming ponds, and a woodworking shop.

The community generates revenue through a mix of one-time home sales (e.g., a 1,080 sq ft LEED Platinum TREE home listed at $407,000), recurring monthly maintenance fees ranging from several hundred to over $1,000 per household (covering taxes, heat, hot water, electric, Wi-Fi, sewer, and reserves), residential rentals (short-term and long-term units, basement apartments, rooms), and modest fees from community shared meals priced at $5-$6.50 per person. Prospective residents must complete a mandatory membership process involving visits, community participation, official tours, and community meetings before any stay exceeding 30 days or any purchase; this process gates both rentals and sales and funnels prospective members through referral and word-of-mouth channels.

Distribution occurs exclusively through a direct, membership-based sales and rental model within the United States (Northeast region focus), supported by monthly public tours, a website, and a strategic educational partnership with THRIVE Ithaca for experiential learning programs and volunteer coordination. The community has no venture capital or external equity ownership, operating as a member-owned entity with both shareholder-owned units and rental units.

Name

Ecovillage at Ithaca

Legal name

Ecovillage at Ithaca

Website

https://ecovillageithaca.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Ecovillage at Ithaca is a 1991-founded, member-owned cohousing community of ~100 LEED Platinum Passive House homes across three neighborhoods on 175 acres in Ithaca, NY, serving sustainability-oriented individuals and families through shared amenities and resource pooling.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Cohousing Community

SIC

Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)

akta.pro primary industry

HOA / Condominium Association Management (BPAJAFAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mixed-Use Community Association Management (BPAJAHAF), Co-Living / Hybrid Extended-Stay Residences (THAGAEAK)

Keywords

• Sustainable cohousing community
• Eco residential living
• Cooperative housing
• Passive house homes
• Intentional community

Headquarters

HQ city

Ithaca

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Home Sales: Sale of residential units within the cohousing community. Properties include single-family homes in various neighborhoods (TREE, SONG, etc.). Membership requirements must be met prior to purchase.
2. Residential Rentals: Rental of rooms, units, basement apartments, and short-term rentals throughout the community at discretion of unit owners
3. Shared Meals: Community shared meals provided to residents for $5-$6.50 per person, with residents helping to shop, cook, and clean as part of shared work commitment
4. Monthly Maintenance Fees: Monthly maintenance fees specific to each neighborhood covering taxes, heat, hot water, electric, Wi-Fi, sewer, and reserve fund contributions ranging from several hundred to over a thousand dollars per month

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ecovillage at Ithaca operates a 175-acre nonprofit cohousing community of approximately 100 homes across three neighborhood clusters (TREE, SONG, and First Neighborhood), offering sustainably built LEED Platinum and Passive House certified residences for ownership or rental. In addition to housing, it sells access to shared community infrastructure including common houses, community gardens, walking trails, ponds, and saunas, and offers shared community meals as a recurring service to residents and visitors.

Product overview

EcoVillage at Ithaca is a multi-generational cohousing community offering residential housing across three neighborhoods (TREE, SONG, and First Neighborhood), short-term rentals, and properties for sale. The community provides shared amenities including common houses, community gardens, farms, saunas, and wellness facilities. Educational programs through Thrive Ithaca include tours, workshops on permaculture, farming, and sustainable living. CSA programs deliver produce and local foods to residents. The focus is on experiential learning about sustainable living practices aligned with environmental health.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Home for Sale — 327 Rachel Carson Trail (TREE Neighborhood) A specific sustainably built home in the TREE Neighborhood of Ecovillage at Ithaca listed for sale to prospective resident-members. The home is part of the community's LEED Platinum / Passive House housing stock and ownership conveys membership in the cooperative community, including access to common houses and shared amenities.
• Ecovillage Residential Rentals (Finger Lakes Rental) Rental housing units within the ecovillage offered to individuals seeking short- or long-term furnished housing in a sustainable community setting. Rentals serve both as standalone residences and as a residency pathway for prospective future owners.
• Shared Community Meals Recurring shared meals prepared and served in the community's common houses for residents and, on a basis, visitors. Functions as a core community-building service and a practical convenience for residents who do not cook individually each day.
• Common House and Shared Amenity Access Resident access to common houses, saunas, ponds, walking trails, and other shared community infrastructure, funded through monthly community fees. Available to all members of the cooperative as part of their standing in the community.
• Community Gardens and Food Growing Plots Allocated garden plots and shared food-growing areas on the 175-acre ecovillage campus available to residents for personal and community food production, supporting the community's permaculture and food-self-sufficiency goals.

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• THRIVE IthacacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTHRIVE Ithaca works with Ecovillage at Ithaca on experiential learning programs, volunteer coordination, and community education. They offer tours of the village and manage prospective resident visits. The partnership focuses on promoting sustainable living education and community growth.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage: An ecovillage in Rutledge, MO focused on sustainability, permaculture, and cooperative living — directly comparable to EVI in mission, structure, and resident-driven design.
• The Farm Community: One of the longest-running intentional communities in Summertown, TN, with shared land, sustainable housing, and a cohousing-like structure; comparable to EVI as a founding-era ecovillage still in operation.
• Findhorn Ecovillage: A globally prominent sustainable ecovillage in Scotland combining cohousing, organic gardens, and renewables — a stronger international peer to EVI given the comparable model and educational programming.
• Twin Oaks Community: An income-sharing intentional community in Louisa, VA with shared housing and land, closely comparable to EVI in cooperative residential structure and shared-resource culture.
• Sirius Community: An intentional ecovillage in Shutesbury, MA sharing land, gardens, and common facilities, with cohousing-style residential living directly comparable to EVI's Northeast US ecovillage model.
• Earthaven Ecovillage: A well-known intentional ecovillage in Black Mountain, NC with ~150 residents practicing sustainable living on shared land, very comparable to EVI's residential cohousing-with-farming model.

Regional players

• BedZED (Beddington Zero Energy Development): A zero-carbon residential eco-development in London, UK focused on sustainable construction and community living — comparable to EVI on green-building and community, but operating in a different geography.

Others

• Cohousing Association of the US: The trade body supporting cohousing communities in the US; relevant as an ecosystem / industry peer that supports the broader model EVI operates in.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/EcoIthaca
• Facebookfacebook.com/ecovillageithaca
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ecovillage-at-ithaca

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ecovillage at Ithaca