Compare towns
Java vs Colden vs Gorham vs Sardinia
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 most homeowners (95.2%).
Colden has the most people working from home (15%).
Gorham has the shortest commute (21 min average).
Sardinia has grown the fastest since 2010 (-2.1%).
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 | Colden | Gorham | Sardinia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 2,049Lowest |
3,145 |
4,093Highest |
2,703 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -4.1% NY: +4.2% |
-4.4%Lowest NY: +4.2% |
-3.3% NY: +4.2% |
-2.1%Highest NY: +4.2% |
| Median age | 44.2±5.5 11% above NY |
49.3±10.4Highest 24% above NY |
48.7±8.8 22% above NY |
42.5±7.5Lowest 7% above NY |
| Colden and Gorham 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% |
19.1%±5.2Lowest NY: 20.5% |
19.9%±4.4 NY: 20.5% |
22.4%±6.5Highest NY: 20.5% |
| Sardinia and Java 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% |
23.3%±4.6 NY: 17.9% |
27.1%±4.7Highest NY: 17.9% |
20.8%±4.7 NY: 17.9% |
| Gorham and Colden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 24.6% NY: 40.2% |
41%Highest NY: 40.2% |
27.3% NY: 40.2% |
21.7%Lowest NY: 40.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3%±2.4Lowest NY: 7% |
4.2%±3.3 NY: 7% |
3.7%±1.9 NY: 7% |
5%±2.9Highest NY: 7% |
| Sardinia and Colden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $95,129±$24k 11% above NY |
$97,935±$15kHighest 14% above NY |
$64,874±$8kLowest 25% below NY |
$84,583±$34k about the NY average |
| Colden and Java 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 |
$302,600±$42kHighest 29% below NY |
$263,300±$27k 38% below NY |
$218,900±$19kLowest 48% below NY |
| Colden and Gorham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $863±$419 47% below NY |
$943±$142 42% below NY |
$1,165±$208Highest 28% below NY |
$855±$83Lowest 47% below NY |
| Gorham and Colden 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 |
$4,752Highest 28% below NY |
$3,497 47% below NY |
$2,233Lowest 66% below NY |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 2.5%±61.4Lowest NY: 52.1% |
61.5%±28 NY: 52.1% |
70.6%±21.5Highest NY: 52.1% |
4.5%±28.2 NY: 52.1% |
| Gorham and Colden 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% |
10% NY: 14% |
9.4% NY: 14% |
12.4%Highest NY: 14% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 95.2%Highest NY: 54.3% |
88.8% NY: 54.3% |
79.7%Lowest NY: 54.3% |
90.8% NY: 54.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1956Lowest 3 yrs older than NY |
1969Highest 10 yrs newer than NY |
1959 same as NY |
1961 2 yrs newer than NY |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 27 min 17% below NY |
26 min 19% below NY |
21 minLowest 35% below NY |
30 minHighest 10% below NY |
| Work from home | 9%±4.4Lowest NY: 14.9% |
15%±7.4Highest NY: 14.9% |
12.8%±5.3 NY: 14.9% |
10.2%±6.1 NY: 14.9% |
| Colden and Gorham 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 | — | #346 of 484 in NY | #246 of 484 in NY | — |
| School district | — | SPRINGVILLE-GRIFFITH INSTITUTE CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT | GORHAM-MIDDLESEX CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT (MARCUS WHITMAN) | — |
| High school in town | — | None in town | MARCUS WHITMAN HIGH SCHOOL | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 9.2 |
— |
| 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.