What stands out worked out from the figures below

Murray has the most affordable homes ($124k median).

Pendleton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10%).

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	Murray	Pendleton
People
Population	4,754Lowest	7,034Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-3.8%Lowest NY: +4.2%	+10%Highest NY: +4.2%
Median age	40.3±2.8Lowest about the NY average	46.7±4.1Highest 17% above NY
	Pendleton and Murray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	20.5%±4.2Lowest NY: 20.5%	21.6%±4.8Highest NY: 20.5%
	Pendleton and Murray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	17.9%±3.7Lowest NY: 17.9%	23%±4.3Highest NY: 17.9%
	Pendleton and Murray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	16.9%Lowest NY: 40.2%	34.9%Highest NY: 40.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.1%±1.2Lowest NY: 7%	4%±2.1Highest NY: 7%
	Pendleton and Murray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$65,077±$5kLowest 24% below NY	$113,750±$27kHighest 32% above NY
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$123,800±$14kLowest 71% below NY	$294,300±$39kHighest 31% below NY
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$826±$63Lowest 49% below NY	$994±$119Highest 39% below NY
	Pendleton and Murray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,907Lowest 41% below NY	$6,623Highest about the NY average
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	38.9%±15.7Highest NY: 52.1%	6.6%±17.3Lowest NY: 52.1%
	Murray and Pendleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	10%Highest NY: 14%	9.4%Lowest NY: 14%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	80.3%Lowest NY: 54.3%	91.1%Highest NY: 54.3%
Typical home builtmedian year	1952Lowest 7 yrs older than NY	1978Highest 19 yrs newer than NY
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	26 minHighest 20% below NY	23 minLowest 31% below NY
Work from home	12.8%±6.4Lowest NY: 14.9%	18.4%±6.6Highest NY: 14.9%
	Pendleton and Murray 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	#430 of 484 in NY	#67 of 484 in NY
School district	HOLLEY CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT	STARPOINT CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
High school in town	HOLLEY JUNIOR SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL	STARPOINT HIGH SCHOOL
Students per teacherat that high school	9.5Lowest	14.5Highest
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.