Compare towns
Olean vs Meredith
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 affordable homes ($86k median).
Meredith has the most expensive homes ($231k 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 | Olean | Meredith |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 13,738Highest |
1,467Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.6%Lowest NY: +4.2% |
-2.9%Highest NY: +4.2% |
| Median age | 39±2.6Lowest about the NY average |
54.3±4.6Highest 36% above NY |
| Kids under 18 | 23.5%±2.9Highest NY: 20.5% |
17%±4.3Lowest NY: 20.5% |
| Olean and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Age 65+ | 19.1%±2.5Lowest NY: 17.9% |
30.8%±4Highest NY: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 29.9%Lowest NY: 40.2% |
33.8%Highest NY: 40.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.6%±1.1Highest NY: 7% |
1.4%±0.9Lowest NY: 7% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $51,261±$7kLowest 40% below NY |
$85,938±$16kHighest about the NY average |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $86,100±$6kLowest 80% below NY |
$230,600±$24kHighest 46% below NY |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $794±$52 51% below NY |
$794±$175 51% below NY |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,130Lowest 52% below NY |
$3,630Highest 45% below NY |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52%±9.1Lowest NY: 52.1% |
53.1%±53.6Highest NY: 52.1% |
| Meredith and Olean 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% |
7.4%Lowest NY: 14% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 55.1%Lowest NY: 54.3% |
92.2%Highest NY: 54.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 21 yrs older than NY |
1976Highest 17 yrs newer than NY |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 14 minLowest 56% below NY |
33 minHighest about the NY average |
| Work from home | 8.4%±2.6Lowest NY: 14.9% |
10.1%±4.3Highest NY: 14.9% |
| Meredith 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 | — |
| School district | OLEAN CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT | — |
| High school in town | OLEAN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.2 |
— |
| 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.