What stands out worked out from the figures below

Crystal has the most affordable homes ($129k median).

Jefferson has the most people working from home (17.5%).

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	Crystal	Jefferson
People
Population	247Lowest	1,013Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	—	-5.8% U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	63.2±8.4Highest 62% above U.S.	58±3.5Lowest 49% above U.S.
	Crystal and Jefferson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	16.2%±11.8Highest U.S.: 22%	12.5%±2.6Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Crystal and Jefferson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	49%±5.3Highest U.S.: 17.2%	33.7%±9.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	22.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	28.4%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	0%±6.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	2.2%±1.5Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Jefferson and Crystal are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$48,125±$13kLowest 40% below U.S.	$67,188±$13kHighest 17% below U.S.
	Jefferson and Crystal are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$129,200±$60kLowest 61% below U.S.	$296,700±$92kHighest 11% below U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,563±$922Highest 11% above U.S.	$867±$156Lowest 39% below U.S.
	Crystal and Jefferson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$943Lowest 70% below U.S.	$4,196Highest 35% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	14.3%±100Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	16.7%±71.2Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Jefferson and Crystal are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	14.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	8.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	92.8%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	90.5%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1974Lowest 6 yrs older than U.S.	1988Highest 8 yrs newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	27 minLowest about the U.S. average	35 minHighest 31% above U.S.
Work from home	0%±15.1Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	17.5%±6.3Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Jefferson and Crystal 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

U.S. 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.