What stands out worked out from the figures below

Hartford has the most people working from home (14.1%).

Smithville has the most affordable homes ($173k median).

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	Hartford	Smithville
People
Population	1,895Highest	1,525Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-3.3%Highest NY: +4.2%	-5.6%Lowest NY: +4.2%
Median age	43.6±6.8Highest 10% above NY	43.1±3.2Lowest 8% above NY
	Hartford and Smithville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	20.1%±5.9Highest NY: 20.5%	16.6%±3.2Lowest NY: 20.5%
	Hartford and Smithville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	19.8%±3.7Highest NY: 17.9%	16.1%±3.7Lowest NY: 17.9%
	Hartford and Smithville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	18.3%Lowest NY: 40.2%	19.4%Highest NY: 40.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	0.8%±1Lowest NY: 7%	5.8%±5.8Highest NY: 7%
	Smithville and Hartford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$65,163±$6kLowest 24% below NY	$70,433±$7kHighest 18% below NY
	Smithville and Hartford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$189,500±$28kHighest 55% below NY	$173,200±$42kLowest 59% below NY
	Hartford and Smithville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,098±$102Highest 32% below NY	$889±$186Lowest 45% below NY
	Hartford and Smithville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,736Lowest 43% below NY	$4,254Highest 35% below NY
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	45%±45.6Lowest NY: 52.1%	54.9%±31.2Highest NY: 52.1%
	Smithville and Hartford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	8.4%Lowest NY: 14%	11.2%Highest NY: 14%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	80.9%Lowest NY: 54.3%	81.7%Highest NY: 54.3%
Typical home builtmedian year	1977 18 yrs newer than NY	1977 18 yrs newer than NY
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	29 minLowest 11% below NY	29 minHighest 10% below NY
Work from home	14.1%±11.6Highest NY: 14.9%	4.4%±2.6Lowest NY: 14.9%
	Hartford and Smithville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	HARTFORD CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT	—
High school in town	HARTFORD MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOL	—
Students per teacherat that high school	8.5	—
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.