What stands out worked out from the figures below

Benson has the most expensive homes ($230k median).

Mansfield has the most people working from home (12.1%).

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	Benson	Mansfield
People
Population	271Lowest	691Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	—	+4.3% NY: +4.2%
Median age	50.7±7.7Lowest 27% above NY	54±5.5Highest 36% above NY
	Mansfield and Benson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	14.4%±9.3Lowest NY: 20.5%	15.1%±4.5Highest NY: 20.5%
	Mansfield and Benson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	34.3%±2.9Highest NY: 17.9%	19.5%±2.3Lowest NY: 17.9%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	21.1%Lowest NY: 40.2%	22.7%Highest NY: 40.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	1.1%±5.6Lowest NY: 7%	4.2%±2.9Highest NY: 7%
	Mansfield and Benson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$69,375±$13kLowest 19% below NY	$83,304±$14kHighest 3% below NY
	Mansfield and Benson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$230,100±$15kHighest 46% below NY	$200,000±$29kLowest 53% below NY
	Benson and Mansfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$2,528Lowest 62% below NY	$4,122Highest 37% below NY
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	0%±100 NY: 52.1%	0%±100 NY: 52.1%
Below poverty line	5.2%Lowest NY: 14%	5.8%Highest NY: 14%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	86.7%Lowest NY: 54.3%	96.2%Highest NY: 54.3%
Typical home builtmedian year	1966Lowest 7 yrs newer than NY	1981Highest 22 yrs newer than NY
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	26 minHighest 20% below NY	26 minLowest 22% below NY
Work from home	9.6%±4.2Lowest NY: 14.9%	12.1%±12.1Highest NY: 14.9%
	Mansfield and Benson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
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.