Compare towns
Olean vs Oswego
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against New York.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Olean has the most homeowners (77.9%).
Oswego has the most people working from home (8.6%).
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 | Olean | Oswego |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 1,664Lowest |
17,033Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -4.2%Highest NY: +4.2% |
-6.7%Lowest NY: +4.2% |
| Median age | 53.8±5.5Highest 35% above NY |
35.7±1.6Lowest 10% below NY |
| Kids under 18 | 15.6%±4.5Lowest NY: 20.5% |
21.9%±2.6Highest NY: 20.5% |
| Oswego and Olean are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Age 65+ | 25.2%±5.1Highest NY: 17.9% |
18.3%±2.1Lowest NY: 17.9% |
| Olean and Oswego are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 23.3%Lowest NY: 40.2% |
26.1%Highest NY: 40.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.5%±1.5Lowest NY: 7% |
10.1%±2Highest NY: 7% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $74,583±$20kHighest 13% below NY |
$53,172±$4kLowest 38% below NY |
| Olean and Oswego are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $158,600±$17kHighest 63% below NY |
$120,600±$7kLowest 72% below NY |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $666±$334Lowest 59% below NY |
$1,109±$72Highest 32% below NY |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,027Highest 39% below NY |
$3,362Lowest 49% below NY |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 57.1%±25.5Lowest NY: 52.1% |
60.4%±7.4Highest NY: 52.1% |
| Oswego and Olean are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 16.3%Lowest NY: 14% |
20.6%Highest NY: 14% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 77.9%Highest NY: 54.3% |
50.2%Lowest NY: 54.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1962Highest 3 yrs newer than NY |
1938Lowest 21 yrs older than NY |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 19 minHighest 43% below NY |
19 minLowest 43% below NY |
| Work from home | 5.8%±4.7Lowest NY: 14.9% |
8.6%±2.9Highest NY: 14.9% |
| Oswego and Olean 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 | #337 of 484 in NY | #285 of 484 in NY |
| School district | — | OSWEGO CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT |
| High school in town | — | OSWEGO HIGH SCHOOL |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.5 |
| 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.