Compare towns
Fort Drum vs Java
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against New York.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Fort Drum has grown the fastest since 2010 (+22.7%).
Java has the most homeowners (95.2%).
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 | Fort Drum | Java |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 16,065Highest |
2,049Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +22.7%Highest NY: +4.2% |
-4.1%Lowest NY: +4.2% |
| Median age | 23.3±0.9Lowest 41% below NY |
44.2±5.5Highest 11% above NY |
| Kids under 18 | 31.4%±3Highest NY: 20.5% |
20.7%±4.7Lowest NY: 20.5% |
| Age 65+ | 0.1%±0.4Lowest NY: 17.9% |
19.5%±3.6Highest NY: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 34.8%Highest NY: 40.2% |
24.6%Lowest NY: 40.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 12.4%±2.3Highest NY: 7% |
3%±2.4Lowest NY: 7% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $62,291±$8kLowest 28% below NY |
$95,129±$24kHighest 11% above NY |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | — | $223,900±$30k 47% below NY |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,622±$86Highest about the NY average |
$863±$419Lowest 47% below NY |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | — | $3,775 43% below NY |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 55.9%±11.4Highest NY: 52.1% |
2.5%±61.4Lowest NY: 52.1% |
| Fort Drum and Java are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 11.7%Highest NY: 14% |
3.7%Lowest NY: 14% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 4%Lowest NY: 54.3% |
95.2%Highest NY: 54.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 2004Highest 45 yrs newer than NY |
1956Lowest 3 yrs older than NY |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 11 minLowest 66% below NY |
27 minHighest 17% below NY |
| Work from home | 12.7%±2.5Highest NY: 14.9% |
9%±4.4Lowest NY: 14.9% |
| Fort Drum and Java 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.