What stands out worked out from the figures below

Clifton has the most affordable homes ($111k median).

Colton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+5.4%).

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	Clifton	Colton
People
Population	768Lowest	1,395Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-10.1%Lowest NY: +4.2%	+5.4%Highest NY: +4.2%
Median age	46.9±3.2Lowest 18% above NY	50.5±7.6Highest 27% above NY
	Colton and Clifton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	21.4%±5.1Highest NY: 20.5%	16.7%±3.7Lowest NY: 20.5%
	Clifton and Colton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	22.5%±2.5Lowest NY: 17.9%	29.9%±4.9Highest NY: 17.9%
	Colton and Clifton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	16.1%Lowest NY: 40.2%	33.8%Highest NY: 40.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	0.5%±1.9Lowest NY: 7%	2.6%±1.5Highest NY: 7%
	Colton and Clifton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$47,228±$10kLowest 45% below NY	$69,156±$7kHighest 20% below NY
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$111,200±$12kLowest 74% below NY	$164,300±$13kHighest 61% below NY
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$806±$211Highest 50% below NY	$475±$261Lowest 71% below NY
	Clifton and Colton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$2,378Lowest 64% below NY	$2,728Highest 59% below NY
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	28.9%±43.1Highest NY: 52.1%	22.7%±56.9Lowest NY: 52.1%
	Clifton and Colton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	14.4%Highest NY: 14%	13.3%Lowest NY: 14%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	77.7%Lowest NY: 54.3%	91.8%Highest NY: 54.3%
Typical home builtmedian year	1960Lowest 1 yr newer than NY	1967Highest 8 yrs newer than NY
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	34 minHighest 3% above NY	28 minLowest 15% below NY
Work from home	9.9%±5.4Lowest NY: 14.9%	11.1%±5.2Highest NY: 14.9%
	Colton and Clifton 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.