What stands out worked out from the figures below

Fort Covington has the shortest commute (18 min average).

Gerry has the oldest population (median age 52.4).

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	Fort Covington	Gerry
People
Population	1,410Lowest	1,668Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-8.7%Lowest NY: +4.2%	-6.5%Highest NY: +4.2%
Median age	39.1±7.8Lowest about the NY average	52.4±5.7Highest 32% above NY
	Gerry and Fort Covington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	26%±4.1Highest NY: 20.5%	20.9%±3.9Lowest NY: 20.5%
	Fort Covington and Gerry are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	20.6%±5.1Lowest NY: 17.9%	29.9%±3.1Highest NY: 17.9%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	15.9%Lowest NY: 40.2%	23.4%Highest NY: 40.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.3%±1.3Lowest NY: 7%	3.4%±2.3Highest NY: 7%
	Gerry and Fort Covington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$57,361±$19kLowest 33% below NY	$68,667±$12kHighest 20% below NY
	Gerry and Fort Covington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$100,300±$12kLowest 76% below NY	$119,200±$10kHighest 72% below NY
	Gerry and Fort Covington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$581±$188Lowest 64% below NY	$1,138±$260Highest 30% below NY
Property taxmedian, yearly	$1,581Lowest 76% below NY	$2,606Highest 60% below NY
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	61.2%±25.9 NY: 52.1%	61.2%±16.1 NY: 52.1%
Below poverty line	19.5%Highest NY: 14%	9%Lowest NY: 14%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	86.1%Highest NY: 54.3%	75.2%Lowest NY: 54.3%
Typical home builtmedian year	1972Highest 13 yrs newer than NY	1967Lowest 8 yrs newer than NY
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	18 minLowest 44% below NY	27 minHighest 17% below NY
Work from home	8.1%±2.9Highest NY: 14.9%	6.2%±4.2Lowest NY: 14.9%
	Fort Covington and Gerry are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	SALMON RIVER CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT	CASSADAGA VALLEY CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
High school in town	SALMON RIVER HIGH SCHOOL	CASSADAGA VALLEY MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOL
Students per teacherat that high school	10.6Highest	8.7Lowest
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.