Compare towns
Java vs Ira vs Sheldon 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 shortest commute (27 min average).
Ira has the most affordable homes ($159k median).
Sheldon has grown the fastest since 2010 (-1.7%).
Sardinia has the most people working from home (10.2%).
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 | Ira | Sheldon | Sardinia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 2,049 |
2,019Lowest |
2,216 |
2,703Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -4.1%Lowest NY: +4.2% |
-2.9% NY: +4.2% |
-1.7%Highest NY: +4.2% |
-2.1% NY: +4.2% |
| Median age | 44.2±5.5 11% above NY |
42.8±3.1 8% above NY |
48.9±7.6Highest 23% above NY |
42.5±7.5Lowest 7% above NY |
| Sheldon and Java 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% |
20.2%±3.2 NY: 20.5% |
14.9%±3.9Lowest 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%±3.6 NY: 17.9% |
14.4%±2.9Lowest NY: 17.9% |
25%±3.2Highest NY: 17.9% |
20.8%±4.7 NY: 17.9% |
| Sheldon and Sardinia are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 24.6%Highest NY: 40.2% |
19% NY: 40.2% |
13.7%Lowest NY: 40.2% |
21.7% NY: 40.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3%±2.4Lowest NY: 7% |
4.8%±2.3 NY: 7% |
3.3%±2.8 NY: 7% |
5%±2.9Highest NY: 7% |
| Sardinia and Ira 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 |
$97,019±$11kHighest 13% above NY |
$71,214±$5kLowest 17% below NY |
$84,583±$34k about the NY average |
| Ira 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±$30kHighest 47% below NY |
$158,800±$16kLowest 63% below NY |
$175,900±$14k 58% below NY |
$218,900±$19k 48% below NY |
| Java and Sardinia are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $863±$419Highest 47% below NY |
— | $818±$84Lowest 50% below NY |
$855±$83 47% below NY |
| Java and Sardinia are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,775Highest 43% below NY |
$3,594 45% below NY |
$3,037 54% below NY |
$2,233Lowest 66% below NY |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 2.5%±61.4Lowest NY: 52.1% |
14.3%±35.4 NY: 52.1% |
50.9%±21.3Highest NY: 52.1% |
4.5%±28.2 NY: 52.1% |
| Sheldon and Ira 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% |
4.6% NY: 14% |
11.8% NY: 14% |
12.4%Highest NY: 14% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 95.2%Highest NY: 54.3% |
88.9% NY: 54.3% |
81.6%Lowest NY: 54.3% |
90.8% NY: 54.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1956Lowest 3 yrs older than NY |
1976Highest 17 yrs newer than NY |
1963 4 yrs newer than NY |
1961 2 yrs newer than NY |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 27 minLowest 17% below NY |
30 min 7% below NY |
33 minHighest about the NY average |
30 min 10% below NY |
| Work from home | 9%±4.4 NY: 14.9% |
8.9%±5 NY: 14.9% |
2.2%±1.6Lowest NY: 14.9% |
10.2%±6.1Highest NY: 14.9% |
| Sardinia and Java are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| School district | — | CATO-MERIDIAN CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT | — | — |
| High school in town | — | CATO-MERIDIAN JUNIOR-SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL | — | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 11.1 |
— | — |
| 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.