What stands out worked out from the figures below

Fulton has the most affordable homes ($101k median).

Lackawanna has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10%).

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	Fulton	Lackawanna
People
Population	11,272Lowest	19,753Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-4.3%Lowest NY: +4.2%	+10%Highest NY: +4.2%
Median age	34.1±3.8Lowest 14% below NY	37.9±3Highest 5% below NY
	Lackawanna and Fulton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	25.9%±3.6Highest NY: 20.5%	24.6%±3Lowest NY: 20.5%
	Fulton and Lackawanna are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	15.7%±2.2Lowest NY: 17.9%	16.8%±2Highest NY: 17.9%
	Lackawanna and Fulton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	16.4%Lowest NY: 40.2%	20%Highest NY: 40.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.9%±1.1Lowest NY: 7%	5.2%±1.5Highest NY: 7%
	Lackawanna and Fulton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$52,046±$6kLowest 39% below NY	$52,110±$5kHighest 39% below NY
	Lackawanna and Fulton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$101,000±$11kLowest 76% below NY	$140,700±$8kHighest 67% below NY
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$887±$48Highest 45% below NY	$872±$37Lowest 46% below NY
	Fulton and Lackawanna are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,106Lowest 53% below NY	$3,745Highest 43% below NY
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	52%±7.7Highest NY: 52.1%	51.8%±8.5Lowest NY: 52.1%
	Fulton and Lackawanna are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	23.5%Highest NY: 14%	23.2%Lowest NY: 14%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	54.3%Lowest NY: 54.3%	56.2%Highest NY: 54.3%
Typical home builtmedian year	1951Lowest 8 yrs older than NY	1954Highest 5 yrs older than NY
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	22 minHighest 33% below NY	20 minLowest 39% below NY
Work from home	5.5%±3Lowest NY: 14.9%	7.8%±2.3Highest NY: 14.9%
	Lackawanna and Fulton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#349 of 484 in NY	#396 of 484 in NY
School district	FULTON CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT	LACKAWANNA CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
High school in town	G RAY BODLEY HIGH SCHOOL	LACKAWANNA HIGH SCHOOL
Students per teacherat that high school	11.6Highest	10.5Lowest
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.