Compare towns
Harmony vs Reading vs Busti
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Harmony has the most affordable homes ($128k median).
Reading has the most people working from home (22.9%).
Busti has the shortest commute (21 min average).
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 | Harmony | Reading | Busti |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 2,344 |
699Lowest |
7,452Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.9%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+3.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+2.6% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 41.8±7Lowest 7% above U.S. |
51.1±7.6Highest 31% above U.S. |
46.6±4.8 20% above U.S. |
| Reading and Busti are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 22.9%±3.7Highest U.S.: 22% |
18.5%±4.2Lowest U.S.: 22% |
19.9%±3.3 U.S.: 22% |
| Harmony and Busti are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 17.7%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
28.2%±3.3Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
23.8%±3.5 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Reading and Busti are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 17.1%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
46%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
29.5% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3%±1.6 U.S.: 6.4% |
3.1%±2.5Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.4%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Reading and Harmony are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $58,600±$11kLowest 27% below U.S. |
$85,000±$19kHighest 5% above U.S. |
$67,292±$9k 17% below U.S. |
| Reading and Busti are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $128,300±$15kLowest 61% below U.S. |
$377,200±$72kHighest 13% above U.S. |
$164,600±$12k 51% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $788±$40Lowest 44% below U.S. |
$1,100±$331Highest 22% below U.S. |
$1,085±$106 23% below U.S. |
| Reading and Busti are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,805Lowest 10% below U.S. |
$5,754Highest 84% above U.S. |
$3,876 24% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 43%±18.6Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
63.3%±31.7Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
55.5%±13.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Reading and Busti are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 9.1% U.S.: 12.5% |
8.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
14.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84.6% U.S.: 65.2% |
84.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
72.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975Highest 5 yrs older than U.S. |
1969 11 yrs older than U.S. |
1963Lowest 17 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 min about the U.S. average |
33 minHighest 25% above U.S. |
21 minLowest 20% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 8.1%±4.4Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
22.9%±10.6Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
9.5%±4.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Reading and Busti are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | PANAMA CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT | Mountain Views Unified Union School District #76 | — |
| High school in town | PANAMA HIGH SCHOOL | None in town | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 8.5 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.