What stands out worked out from the figures below

Gowanda has the most affordable homes ($96k median).

Troy has grown the fastest since 2010 (+3.6%).

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	Gowanda	Troy
People
Population	2,683Highest	1,749Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-7.2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+3.6%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	37.6±6.2Lowest 3% below U.S.	44.5±5.7Highest 14% above U.S.
	Troy and Gowanda are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	30.2%±9.7Highest U.S.: 22%	21.4%±3.9Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Gowanda and Troy are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	18.5%±5.8Highest U.S.: 17.2%	17.7%±3Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Gowanda and Troy are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	10.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	20.2%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	2.7%±1.4Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Troy and Gowanda are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$51,828±$2kLowest 36% below U.S.	$87,938±$11kHighest 9% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$96,400±$13kLowest 71% below U.S.	$233,200±$21kHighest 30% below U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$753±$51Highest 47% below U.S.	$646±$323Lowest 54% below U.S.
	Gowanda and Troy are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$2,663Lowest 15% below U.S.	$3,644Highest 17% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	62.4%±14.3Highest U.S.: 51.1%	30.8%±26.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Gowanda and Troy are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	16.9%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	8.6%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	72.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	86.6%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1938Lowest 42 yrs older than U.S.	1980Highest same as U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	21 minLowest 21% below U.S.	24 minHighest 9% below U.S.
Work from home	3.3%±1.9Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	7.8%±2.3Highest U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
School district	—	Troy School District
High school in town	—	None in town
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.