What stands out worked out from the figures below

Erin has the most affordable homes ($133k median).

Worcester has the most people working from home (8.4%).

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	Erin	Worcester
People
Population	1,912Lowest	2,149Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-8%Lowest NY: +4.2%	-4.9%Highest NY: +4.2%
Median age	43.9±3.8Highest 10% above NY	43.2±6.9Lowest 9% above NY
	Erin and Worcester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	23%±5Highest NY: 20.5%	20.3%±3.3Lowest NY: 20.5%
	Erin and Worcester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	18.7%±2.1Highest NY: 17.9%	17.4%±2.6Lowest NY: 17.9%
	Erin and Worcester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	22.2%Lowest NY: 40.2%	26.9%Highest NY: 40.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.4%±1.2Lowest NY: 7%	6.5%±5.5Highest NY: 7%
	Worcester and Erin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$66,583±$8kLowest 23% below NY	$69,886±$23kHighest 19% below NY
	Worcester and Erin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$133,400±$27kLowest 69% below NY	$155,300±$43kHighest 63% below NY
	Worcester and Erin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$747±$305Highest 54% below NY	$736±$327Lowest 55% below NY
	Erin and Worcester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,396Highest 48% below NY	$2,602Lowest 60% below NY
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	25%±68.1Lowest NY: 52.1%	91.8%±41.9Highest NY: 52.1%
	Worcester and Erin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	7.8%Lowest NY: 14%	21.7%Highest NY: 14%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	91.7%Highest NY: 54.3%	90.7%Lowest NY: 54.3%
Typical home builtmedian year	1977Highest 18 yrs newer than NY	1938Lowest 21 yrs older than NY
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	31 minHighest 6% below NY	26 minLowest 19% below NY
Work from home	4.1%±2.4Lowest NY: 14.9%	8.4%±4.6Highest NY: 14.9%
	Worcester and Erin 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.