Compare towns
Highlands vs Fredonia
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against New York.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Highlands has the highest household income ($116k).
Fredonia has the most affordable homes ($193k median).
Fredonia is a college town. 28.6% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Highlands | Fredonia |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 12,823Highest |
9,467Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.6%Highest NY: +4.2% |
-14.6%Lowest NY: +4.2% |
| Median age | 31.1±2.9Lowest 22% below NY |
32.4±4.9Highest 19% below NY |
| Fredonia and Highlands are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Kids under 18 | 23.1%±2.8Highest NY: 20.5% |
14%±3Lowest NY: 20.5% |
| Age 65+ | 8.2%±1.9Lowest NY: 17.9% |
19.9%±3.8Highest NY: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 48.3%Highest NY: 40.2% |
45.3%Lowest NY: 40.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 21.2%±2.2Lowest NY: 7% |
28.6%±3.9Highest NY: 7% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $116,111±$11kHighest 35% above NY |
$50,433±$9kLowest 41% below NY |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $337,700±$32kHighest 20% below NY |
$192,500±$22kLowest 55% below NY |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,640±$193Highest 63% above NY |
$878±$64Lowest 46% below NY |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $10,000+Highest at least 52% above NY |
$4,725Lowest 28% below NY |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 55.1%±8.4Lowest NY: 52.1% |
60.5%±10.3Highest NY: 52.1% |
| Fredonia and Highlands are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 4.5%Lowest NY: 14% |
25.2%Highest NY: 14% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 43.1%Lowest NY: 54.3% |
53.6%Highest NY: 54.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1957Highest 2 yrs older than NY |
1951Lowest 8 yrs older than NY |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 19 minHighest 43% below NY |
17 minLowest 48% below NY |
| Work from home | 17.7%±3.4Highest NY: 14.9% |
11.5%±5.3Lowest NY: 14.9% |
| Highlands and Fredonia 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 | #168 of 484 in NY | — |
| School district | HIGHLAND FALLS CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT | — |
| High school in town | JAMES I O'NEILL HIGH SCHOOL | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.2 |
— |
| 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.