Compare towns
Java vs Bennington vs Jay
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against New York.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Java has the highest household income ($95k).
Bennington has the most people working from home (10.5%).
Jay has grown the fastest since 2010 (-0.8%).
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 | Java | Bennington | Jay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 2,049Lowest |
3,220Highest |
2,354 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -4.1%Lowest NY: +4.2% |
-3.7% NY: +4.2% |
-0.8%Highest NY: +4.2% |
| Median age | 44.2±5.5Lowest 11% above NY |
46.7±5.8 17% above NY |
48.8±4.6Highest 23% above NY |
| Jay and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 20.7%±4.7Highest NY: 20.5% |
20.5%±4.9 NY: 20.5% |
16%±4.1Lowest NY: 20.5% |
| Java and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.5%±3.6Lowest NY: 17.9% |
22.4%±4.5 NY: 17.9% |
25.3%±4.8Highest NY: 17.9% |
| Jay and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 24.6%Lowest NY: 40.2% |
26% NY: 40.2% |
31.4%Highest NY: 40.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3%±2.4Highest NY: 7% |
2.5%±1.7 NY: 7% |
1.7%±1.7Lowest NY: 7% |
| Java and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $95,129±$24kHighest 11% above NY |
$89,050±$10k 4% above NY |
$72,380±$19kLowest 16% below NY |
| Java and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $223,900±$30k 47% below NY |
$244,400±$24kHighest 42% below NY |
$196,900±$22kLowest 54% below NY |
| Bennington and Java are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $863±$419Lowest 47% below NY |
$942±$344 42% below NY |
$1,272±$366Highest 22% below NY |
| Jay and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,775 43% below NY |
$4,591Highest 30% below NY |
$3,741Lowest 43% below NY |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 2.5%±61.4Lowest NY: 52.1% |
27.4%±29Highest NY: 52.1% |
27.4%±21.1Highest NY: 52.1% |
| Below poverty line | 3.7%Lowest NY: 14% |
8%Highest NY: 14% |
6.7% NY: 14% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 95.2%Highest NY: 54.3% |
90.7% NY: 54.3% |
88.4%Lowest NY: 54.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1956Lowest 3 yrs older than NY |
1969 10 yrs newer than NY |
1977Highest 18 yrs newer than NY |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 minLowest 17% below NY |
33 minHighest about the NY average |
28 min 13% below NY |
| Work from home | 9%±4.4 NY: 14.9% |
10.5%±4.9Highest NY: 14.9% |
8.8%±3.2Lowest NY: 14.9% |
| Bennington and Java are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | — | — | AUSABLE VALLEY CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT |
| High school in town | — | — | None in town |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.