Compare towns
Olean vs Ellery vs Allegany
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 kids (23.5% under 18).
Ellery has the oldest population (median age 56.1).
Allegany has the most people working from home (9.7%).
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 | Ellery | Allegany |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 13,738Highest |
4,073Lowest |
7,410 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.6%Highest NY: +4.2% |
-9%Lowest NY: +4.2% |
-6.4% NY: +4.2% |
| Median age | 39±2.6 about the NY average |
56.1±4.5Highest 41% above NY |
37.4±4.1Lowest 6% below NY |
| Kids under 18 | 23.5%±2.9Highest NY: 20.5% |
14.3%±3.8Lowest NY: 20.5% |
15.1%±2.5 NY: 20.5% |
| Age 65+ | 19.1%±2.5Lowest NY: 17.9% |
30.8%±6.6Highest NY: 17.9% |
20.5%±2.7 NY: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 29.9%Lowest NY: 40.2% |
40%Highest NY: 40.2% |
34.2% NY: 40.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.6%±1.1Lowest NY: 7% |
4.4%±2.2 NY: 7% |
23.4%±1.7Highest NY: 7% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $51,261±$7kLowest 40% below NY |
$86,833±$12kHighest about the NY average |
$72,500±$15k 16% below NY |
| Ellery and Allegany are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $86,100±$6kLowest 80% below NY |
$235,900±$29kHighest 44% below NY |
$169,400±$13k 60% below NY |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $794±$52 51% below NY |
$845±$189Highest 48% below NY |
$728±$56Lowest 55% below NY |
| Ellery and Olean are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,130Lowest 52% below NY |
$3,796 42% below NY |
$3,986Highest 39% below NY |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52%±9.1Highest NY: 52.1% |
35.9%±16.8Lowest NY: 52.1% |
48.6%±7.6 NY: 52.1% |
| Olean and Allegany are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 26.7%Highest NY: 14% |
9.2%Lowest NY: 14% |
15% NY: 14% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 55.1%Lowest NY: 54.3% |
89.5%Highest NY: 54.3% |
80.3% NY: 54.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 21 yrs older than NY |
1967 8 yrs newer than NY |
1971Highest 12 yrs newer than NY |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 14 minLowest 56% below NY |
23 minHighest 29% below NY |
20 min 40% below NY |
| Work from home | 8.4%±2.6 NY: 14.9% |
4.5%±2.4Lowest NY: 14.9% |
9.7%±3.5Highest NY: 14.9% |
| Allegany 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 | #241 of 484 in NY | #161 of 484 in NY |
| School district | OLEAN CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT | BEMUS POINT CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT | ALLEGANY-LIMESTONE CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT |
| High school in town | OLEAN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL | MAPLE GROVE JUNIOR/SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL | ALLEGANY-LIMESTONE MIDDLE-HIGH SCHOOL |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.2Highest |
7.6Lowest |
9.6 |
| 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.