What stands out worked out from the figures below

Newark has grown the fastest since 2010 (-1.4%).

Johnstown has the most expensive homes ($158k 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.

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

Measure	Newark	Johnstown
People
Population	8,991Highest	8,111Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-1.4%Highest NY: +4.2%	-6.2%Lowest NY: +4.2%
Median age	41.1±3Lowest 3% above NY	44±4.8Highest 11% above NY
	Johnstown and Newark are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	22.2%±3.8Highest NY: 20.5%	19.3%±3.4Lowest NY: 20.5%
	Newark and Johnstown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	19.7%±3.4Lowest NY: 17.9%	21.5%±3.9Highest NY: 17.9%
	Johnstown and Newark are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	19.5%Lowest NY: 40.2%	21.7%Highest NY: 40.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.2%±1.1Lowest NY: 7%	3.4%±1.7Highest NY: 7%
	Johnstown and Newark are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$60,006±$9kLowest 30% below NY	$63,763±$9kHighest 26% below NY
	Johnstown and Newark are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$132,600±$12kLowest 69% below NY	$157,800±$11kHighest 63% below NY
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$979±$97Highest 40% below NY	$914±$43Lowest 44% below NY
	Newark and Johnstown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,106Highest 38% below NY	$3,613Lowest 45% below NY
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	50.8%±11.9Highest NY: 52.1%	43.2%±12Lowest NY: 52.1%
	Newark and Johnstown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	22.2%Highest NY: 14%	8.4%Lowest NY: 14%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	60.5%Highest NY: 54.3%	60.3%Lowest NY: 54.3%
Typical home builtmedian year	1956Highest 3 yrs older than NY	1941Lowest 18 yrs older than NY
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	21 minHighest 35% below NY	19 minLowest 42% below NY
Work from home	6.8%±3.8Lowest NY: 14.9%	7.6%±3.2Highest NY: 14.9%
	Johnstown and Newark 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	—	#403 of 484 in NY
School district	—	JOHNSTOWN CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
High school in town	—	JOHNSTOWN HIGH SCHOOL
Students per teacherat that high school	—	11.8
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.