Compare towns
Java vs Brutus vs Chenango vs Russia
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).
Brutus has the most renters (25.8% rent).
Chenango has the most people working from home (13.8%).
Russia has the most expensive homes ($232k 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.
| Measure | Java | Brutus | Chenango | Russia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 2,049Lowest |
4,269 |
10,787Highest |
2,272 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -4.1% NY: +4.2% |
-3.4% NY: +4.2% |
-2.6%Highest NY: +4.2% |
-12.3%Lowest NY: +4.2% |
| Median age | 44.2±5.5Highest 11% above NY |
43.6±3.5 10% above NY |
41±2.8Lowest 3% above NY |
43.9±2.9 10% above NY |
| Java and Russia are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 20.7%±4.7 NY: 20.5% |
17.7%±2.9Lowest NY: 20.5% |
22.7%±3Highest NY: 20.5% |
21.3%±4.1 NY: 20.5% |
| Chenango and Russia are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 19.5%±3.6 NY: 17.9% |
18.5%±3.1Lowest NY: 17.9% |
22.6%±2.6Highest NY: 17.9% |
20.8%±3.7 NY: 17.9% |
| Chenango and Russia 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% |
26.2% NY: 40.2% |
35.2%Highest NY: 40.2% |
28.5% NY: 40.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3%±2.4 NY: 7% |
2.5%±1.2Lowest NY: 7% |
4.8%±2Highest NY: 7% |
3.3%±1.7 NY: 7% |
| Chenango and Russia 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 |
$77,031±$10kLowest 10% below NY |
$86,646±$9k about the NY average |
$86,116±$17k about the NY average |
| Java and Chenango 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 |
$154,900±$14kLowest 63% below NY |
$172,000±$9k 59% below NY |
$232,200±$44kHighest 45% below NY |
| Russia 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 |
$1,114±$122Highest 31% below NY |
$1,038±$97 36% below NY |
$888±$325 45% below NY |
| Brutus and Chenango 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 |
$4,294Highest 35% below NY |
$3,700 44% below NY |
$2,939Lowest 55% below NY |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 2.5%±61.4Lowest NY: 52.1% |
45.9%±25.8Highest NY: 52.1% |
41.7%±8.7 NY: 52.1% |
31.1%±10.8 NY: 52.1% |
| Brutus and Chenango are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 3.7%Lowest NY: 14% |
15.2%Highest NY: 14% |
9.1% NY: 14% |
9.1% NY: 14% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 95.2%Highest NY: 54.3% |
74.2%Lowest NY: 54.3% |
85.3% NY: 54.3% |
89.7% NY: 54.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1956Lowest 3 yrs older than NY |
1974Highest 15 yrs newer than NY |
1964 5 yrs newer than NY |
1959 same as NY |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 27 min 17% below NY |
27 min 18% below NY |
24 minLowest 27% below NY |
33 minHighest about the NY average |
| Work from home | 9%±4.4 NY: 14.9% |
8.9%±3.9 NY: 14.9% |
13.8%±3.2Highest NY: 14.9% |
6.2%±3.5Lowest NY: 14.9% |
| Chenango and Java 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 | — | #313 of 484 in NY | #233 of 484 in NY | — |
| School district | — | WEEDSPORT CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT | CHENANGO FORKS CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT · CHENANGO VALLEY CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT | POLAND CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT |
| High school in town | — | WEEDSPORT JUNIOR-SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL | CHENANGO FORKS HIGH SCHOOL | POLAND JUNIOR-SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 9.2Lowest |
11.1Highest |
10.6 |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.