Compare towns
Middletown vs Wallkill vs Rome
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against New York.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Middletown has the most kids (25.9% under 18).
Wallkill has grown the fastest since 2010 (+11.2%).
Rome has the most affordable homes ($154k 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 | Middletown | Wallkill | Rome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 30,289Lowest |
31,023 |
31,795Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +8% NY: +4.2% |
+11.2%Highest NY: +4.2% |
-4.7%Lowest NY: +4.2% |
| Median age | 36.3±2.4Lowest 9% below NY |
41.2±2.2Highest 4% above NY |
40.7±1.9 about the NY average |
| Wallkill and Rome are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 25.9%±3.1Highest NY: 20.5% |
20.7%±2.3 NY: 20.5% |
19.5%±2Lowest NY: 20.5% |
| Middletown and Wallkill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 13.6%±1.8Lowest NY: 17.9% |
15.7%±1.6 NY: 17.9% |
19.8%±1.7Highest NY: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 20.1%Lowest NY: 40.2% |
28%Highest NY: 40.2% |
20.8% NY: 40.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.2%±1.4 NY: 7% |
7.8%±1.5Highest NY: 7% |
3.3%±0.7Lowest NY: 7% |
| Wallkill and Middletown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $79,346±$8k 8% below NY |
$96,076±$4kHighest 12% above NY |
$59,925±$3kLowest 30% below NY |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $308,600±$14k 27% below NY |
$353,200±$13kHighest 17% below NY |
$154,400±$6kLowest 64% below NY |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,661±$106 about the NY average |
$1,790±$80Highest 10% above NY |
$909±$59Lowest 44% below NY |
| Wallkill and Middletown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,773Highest about the NY average |
$6,623 about the NY average |
$4,212Lowest 36% below NY |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 55.3%±5.9Highest NY: 52.1% |
52.8%±8.1 NY: 52.1% |
45.6%±6.7Lowest NY: 52.1% |
| Middletown and Wallkill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 13.6% NY: 14% |
11%Lowest NY: 14% |
18.1%Highest NY: 14% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 51.7%Lowest NY: 54.3% |
64.1%Highest NY: 54.3% |
56.6% NY: 54.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1960 1 yr newer than NY |
1978Highest 19 yrs newer than NY |
1955Lowest 4 yrs older than NY |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 36 minHighest 10% above NY |
31 min 5% below NY |
18 minLowest 45% below NY |
| Work from home | 6%±1.9Lowest NY: 14.9% |
10.5%±2.9 NY: 14.9% |
12.8%±2.6Highest NY: 14.9% |
| Rome and Wallkill 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 | #150 of 484 in NY | #476 of 484 in NY | #323 of 484 in NY |
| School district | MIDDLETOWN CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT | MIDDLETOWN CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT · PINE BUSH CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT | ROME CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT |
| High school in town | MIDDLETOWN HIGH SCHOOL | None in town | ROME FREE ACADEMY |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.8Lowest |
— | 13.2Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.