What stands out worked out from the figures below

Barre has the most kids (24.4% under 18).

Shelby has the most people working from home (12.5%).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Barre	Shelby
People
Population	1,910Lowest	4,858Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-9%Lowest NY: +4.2%	-7.7%Highest NY: +4.2%
Median age	45.2±6.7Highest 14% above NY	45±3.2Lowest 13% above NY
	Barre and Shelby are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	24.4%±4.8Highest NY: 20.5%	17%±3.8Lowest NY: 20.5%
	Barre and Shelby are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	20.7%±2.8Lowest NY: 17.9%	22.6%±3.5Highest NY: 17.9%
	Shelby and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	13%Lowest NY: 40.2%	18.7%Highest NY: 40.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	0.9%±0.8Lowest NY: 7%	1.2%±0.8Highest NY: 7%
	Shelby and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$73,906±$14kHighest 14% below NY	$65,655±$14kLowest 24% below NY
	Barre and Shelby are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$135,900±$28kLowest 68% below NY	$136,000±$29kHighest 68% below NY
	Shelby and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,158±$208Highest 29% below NY	$788±$214Lowest 51% below NY
	Barre and Shelby are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,466Lowest 47% below NY	$3,903Highest 41% below NY
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	60.7%±35.3Highest NY: 52.1%	30.9%±12.3Lowest NY: 52.1%
	Barre and Shelby are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	23.4%Highest NY: 14%	12.5%Lowest NY: 14%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	87.6%Highest NY: 54.3%	67.8%Lowest NY: 54.3%
Typical home builtmedian year	1938Lowest 21 yrs older than NY	1943Highest 16 yrs older than NY
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	21 minLowest 36% below NY	26 minHighest 19% below NY
Work from home	6.5%±2.8Lowest NY: 14.9%	12.5%±5.3Highest NY: 14.9%
	Shelby and Barre 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	—	#401 of 484 in NY
School district	—	MEDINA CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
High school in town	—	MEDINA JUNIOR-SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Students per teacherat that high school	—	10.6
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.