What stands out worked out from the figures below

Leyden has the most affordable homes ($173k median).

Boonville 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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Leyden	Boonville
People
Population	1,661Lowest	4,465Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-11.9%Lowest NY: +4.2%	-0.8%Highest NY: +4.2%
Median age	43.6±3.8Lowest 10% above NY	46.9±5.4Highest 18% above NY
	Boonville and Leyden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	20.8%±4.2Highest NY: 20.5%	18.7%±4.4Lowest NY: 20.5%
	Leyden and Boonville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	20%±3.8Lowest NY: 17.9%	22.6%±4.3Highest NY: 17.9%
	Boonville and Leyden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	14%Lowest NY: 40.2%	21.1%Highest NY: 40.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	0.1%±0.9Lowest NY: 7%	1.5%±0.9Highest NY: 7%
	Boonville and Leyden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$59,474±$21kLowest 31% below NY	$68,253±$14kHighest 21% below NY
	Boonville and Leyden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$173,100±$23kLowest 59% below NY	$219,400±$23kHighest 48% below NY
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$721±$37Lowest 56% below NY	$813±$163Highest 50% below NY
	Boonville and Leyden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$2,412Lowest 63% below NY	$2,787Highest 58% below NY
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	53.4%±15.4Lowest NY: 52.1%	55%±19Highest NY: 52.1%
	Boonville and Leyden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	13.9%Highest NY: 14%	11.8%Lowest NY: 14%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	74.2%Highest NY: 54.3%	69.1%Lowest NY: 54.3%
Typical home builtmedian year	1960Lowest 1 yr newer than NY	1972Highest 13 yrs newer than NY
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	26 minLowest 21% below NY	29 minHighest 12% below NY
Work from home	9.3%±5.4Highest NY: 14.9%	8.7%±3.5Lowest NY: 14.9%
	Leyden and Boonville 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	—	#204 of 484 in NY
School district	—	ADIRONDACK CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
High school in town	—	ADIRONDACK HIGH SCHOOL
Students per teacherat that high school	—	12.6
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.