Compare towns
Arcadia vs Ridgeway vs Wawarsing
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against New York.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Arcadia has the shortest commute (23 min average).
Ridgeway has the highest household income ($70k).
Wawarsing has the most expensive homes ($237k median).
What matters to you?
Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.
| Measure | Arcadia | Ridgeway | Wawarsing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 13,601Highest |
6,514Lowest |
12,533 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.6%Lowest NY: +4.2% |
-2.7%Highest NY: +4.2% |
-2.9% NY: +4.2% |
| Median age | 43.7±3.1 10% above NY |
42.3±3Lowest 6% above NY |
45.4±3.3Highest 14% above NY |
| Wawarsing and Arcadia are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 20.7%±3.1Highest NY: 20.5% |
20.6%±3.7 NY: 20.5% |
17.4%±2.9Lowest NY: 20.5% |
| Arcadia and Ridgeway are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 20.3%±2.7Lowest NY: 17.9% |
20.6%±3.1 NY: 17.9% |
23.4%±3.6Highest NY: 17.9% |
| Wawarsing and Ridgeway are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 19.2%Highest NY: 40.2% |
18.2%Lowest NY: 40.2% |
19.1% NY: 40.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.4%±1 NY: 7% |
1.4%±1Lowest NY: 7% |
6.8%±3.1Highest NY: 7% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $63,398±$5kLowest 26% below NY |
$69,516±$8kHighest 19% below NY |
$64,321±$5k 25% below NY |
| Ridgeway and Wawarsing are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $148,400±$12kLowest 65% below NY |
$149,900±$15k 65% below NY |
$236,900±$17kHighest 44% below NY |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,002±$86 38% below NY |
$934±$49Lowest 42% below NY |
$1,252±$227Highest 23% below NY |
| Wawarsing and Arcadia are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,944 40% below NY |
$4,109Highest 38% below NY |
$3,883Lowest 41% below NY |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 48.2%±11.5 NY: 52.1% |
33.4%±13.8Lowest NY: 52.1% |
73.4%±16.8Highest NY: 52.1% |
| Wawarsing and Arcadia are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 17.9% NY: 14% |
10.4%Lowest NY: 14% |
22%Highest NY: 14% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 70.4%Highest NY: 54.3% |
69.8% NY: 54.3% |
65.7%Lowest NY: 54.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1960Highest 1 yr newer than NY |
1938Lowest 21 yrs older than NY |
1955 4 yrs older than NY |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 minLowest 30% below NY |
25 min 24% below NY |
30 minHighest 8% below NY |
| Work from home | 6.4%±2.9Lowest NY: 14.9% |
7.8%±4.3 NY: 14.9% |
10.2%±3Highest NY: 14.9% |
| Wawarsing and Ridgeway are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #301 of 484 in NY | — | #288 of 484 in NY |
| School district | NEWARK CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT | — | ELLENVILLE CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT · RONDOUT VALLEY CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT |
| High school in town | NEWARK SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL | — | ELLENVILLE JUNIOR/SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.8Lowest |
— | 10.7Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet |
NY average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.