Compare towns
Cold Brook vs Laurens vs Dresden
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against New York.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Cold Brook has the highest household income ($104k).
Laurens has the oldest population (median age 46).
Dresden has the most people working from home (12.8%).
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 | Cold Brook | Laurens | Dresden |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 164 |
160Lowest |
272Highest |
| Median age | 41.3±6.5 4% above NY |
46±8.7Highest 16% above NY |
39.3±11.1Lowest about the NY average |
| Laurens and Cold Brook are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 23.2%±17.6Highest NY: 20.5% |
16.9%±13.9Lowest NY: 20.5% |
18%±13.6 NY: 20.5% |
| Cold Brook and Dresden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 15.9%±20.3 NY: 17.9% |
11.3%±18.4Lowest NY: 17.9% |
19.1%±4.5Highest NY: 17.9% |
| Dresden and Cold Brook are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 15.8%Lowest NY: 40.2% |
26.9%Highest NY: 40.2% |
19.6% NY: 40.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.2%±8.7 NY: 7% |
1.3%±9.1Highest NY: 7% |
0.7%±5.7Lowest NY: 7% |
| Laurens and Cold Brook are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $104,444±$51kHighest 21% above NY |
$74,583±$35k 13% below NY |
$70,729±$13kLowest 18% below NY |
| Cold Brook and Laurens are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $150,000±$62kHighest 65% below NY |
$139,700±$13k 67% below NY |
$110,800±$10kLowest 74% below NY |
| Cold Brook and Laurens are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,000±$296Highest 38% below NY |
$718±$37Lowest 56% below NY |
| Laurens and Dresden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,115 68% below NY |
$1,903Lowest 71% below NY |
$2,944Highest 55% below NY |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 0%±100Lowest NY: 52.1% |
29.2%±59.4Highest NY: 52.1% |
0%±100Lowest NY: 52.1% |
| Laurens and Cold Brook are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 11%Lowest NY: 14% |
11.4% NY: 14% |
25%Highest NY: 14% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 71.1% NY: 54.3% |
68.8%Lowest NY: 54.3% |
74.7%Highest NY: 54.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938 21 yrs older than NY |
1938 21 yrs older than NY |
1938 21 yrs older than NY |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 37 minHighest 14% above NY |
19 min 43% below NY |
17 minLowest 48% below NY |
| Work from home | 4%±4.8Lowest NY: 14.9% |
5.5%±6.6 NY: 14.9% |
12.8%±11.6Highest NY: 14.9% |
| Dresden and Laurens 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 | 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.