Compare towns
Niskayuna vs Schenectady
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against New York.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Niskayuna has the highest household income ($134k).
Schenectady has the most affordable homes ($169k 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 | Niskayuna | Schenectady |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 21,227Lowest |
68,847Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +1.4% NY: +4.2% |
| Median age | 41.4±1.5Highest 4% above NY |
36.1±1Lowest 9% below NY |
| Kids under 18 | 27.5%±2.6Highest NY: 20.5% |
19.9%±1.2Lowest NY: 20.5% |
| Age 65+ | 19%±2.1Highest NY: 17.9% |
15.1%±1.1Lowest NY: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 67.4%Highest NY: 40.2% |
25.4%Lowest NY: 40.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.7%±0.9Lowest NY: 7% |
9.8%±1Highest NY: 7% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $134,052±$10kHighest 56% above NY |
$58,399±$3kLowest 32% below NY |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $357,900±$13kHighest 16% below NY |
$168,800±$5kLowest 60% below NY |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,589±$156Highest about the NY average |
$1,145±$33Lowest 29% below NY |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $8,982Highest 36% above NY |
$4,874Lowest 26% below NY |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 39.5%±14.4Lowest NY: 52.1% |
58.5%±4.5Highest NY: 52.1% |
| Below poverty line | 4%Lowest NY: 14% |
23.8%Highest NY: 14% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 80.6%Highest NY: 54.3% |
45.6%Lowest NY: 54.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1968Highest 9 yrs newer than NY |
1941Lowest 18 yrs older than NY |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 21 minLowest 36% below NY |
22 minHighest 33% below NY |
| Work from home | 20.6%±3.8Highest NY: 14.9% |
10.9%±1.4Lowest NY: 14.9% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #31 of 484 in NY | #400 of 484 in NY |
| School district | — | SCHENECTADY CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT |
| High school in town | — | SCHENECTADY HIGH SCHOOL |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 13.3 |
| 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.