What stands out worked out from the figures below

Marion has the most affordable homes ($180k median).

Strafford has the most people working from home (16.1%).

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.

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

Measure	Marion	Strafford
People
Population	4,523Highest	1,372Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-3.8%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	-0.4%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	47.9±4.2Lowest 23% above U.S.	51.4±4.7Highest 32% above U.S.
	Strafford and Marion are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	16.4%±4.1Lowest U.S.: 22%	23%±5.2Highest U.S.: 22%
	Strafford and Marion are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	19.1%±4.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	22.1%±3.4Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Strafford and Marion are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	20%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	53.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.3%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	5.1%±2.6Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Strafford and Marion are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$80,469±$12kLowest about the U.S. average	$110,833±$19kHighest 37% above U.S.
	Strafford and Marion are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$180,300±$27kLowest 46% below U.S.	$431,300±$40kHighest 30% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$639±$394Lowest 55% below U.S.	$1,125±$789Highest 20% below U.S.
	Strafford and Marion are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,580Lowest 47% above U.S.	$7,149Highest 129% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	44%±16.8Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	44.6%±48Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Strafford and Marion are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	5.2% U.S.: 12.5%	5.2% U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	76.9%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	88.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1974Lowest 6 yrs older than U.S.	1980Highest same as U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	25 minHighest 7% below U.S.	23 minLowest 13% below U.S.
Work from home	5.9%±3.6Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	16.1%±4.3Highest U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#194 of 484 in NY	—
School district	MARION CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT	Strafford School District
High school in town	MARION JUNIOR-SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL	None in town
Students per teacherat that high school	9.6	—
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	None yet	None yet

U.S. 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.