Udhagamandalam has an average literacy rate of 80%, higher than the national average of 59.5% with male literacy is 84% and female literacy is 75%.
Tamil & English are the lingua franca of Udhagamandalam. Languages native to the Nilgiris like Badaga and Paniya are also spoken by their respective tribes.
Due to its proximity to the neighboring states and it being a popular tourist spot, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi are also spoken and understood to an extent.
Contrary to the thought that much of the local economy is now dominated by tourism, Ooty is still a supply base and market town for the surrounding area which is still largely dependent on agriculture, notably the cultivation of "English Vegetables" and "English Fruits" grown locally.
This primarily consists of potato, carrot, cabbage and cauliflower and the fruits being peaches, plums, pears and strawberries.
Dairy farming has long been present in the area and there is a cooperative dairy in Ooty manufacturing cheese and skimmed milk powder.
Tea is more economically grown at slightly lower altitude and hence Coonoor (1,856 m), Kotagiri (1,793 m), Gudalur (1,072 m), Pandalur (880 m), Manjur (730 m) are local centers of tea cultivation and processing in Nilgiris district.