Compare towns
Olean vs Middlebury vs Mendon
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Olean has the most affordable homes ($86k median).
Middlebury has the youngest population (median age 31.8).
Mendon has the most homeowners (92.2%).
Middlebury is a college town. 32.6% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Middlebury | Mendon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 13,738Highest |
9,175 |
1,113Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.6%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+7.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
+8.5%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 39±2.6 about the U.S. average |
31.8±3.7Lowest 18% below U.S. |
53.4±10.5Highest 37% above U.S. |
| Kids under 18 | 23.5%±2.9Highest U.S.: 22% |
11.6%±1.9Lowest U.S.: 22% |
14.6%±5.2 U.S.: 22% |
| Age 65+ | 19.1%±2.5Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.7%±2.6 U.S.: 17.2% |
29%±1.3Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 29.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
55.4%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
49.4% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.6%±1.1 U.S.: 6.4% |
32.6%±1.1Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.1%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $51,261±$7kLowest 37% below U.S. |
$86,169±$16k 7% above U.S. |
$100,524±$23kHighest 25% above U.S. |
| Mendon and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $86,100±$6kLowest 74% below U.S. |
$409,700±$30kHighest 23% above U.S. |
$357,000±$44k 7% above U.S. |
| Middlebury and Mendon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $794±$52Lowest 44% below U.S. |
$1,156±$113 18% below U.S. |
$1,230±$651Highest 13% below U.S. |
| Mendon and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,130Lowest about the U.S. average |
$6,868Highest 120% above U.S. |
$5,342 71% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52%±9.1 U.S.: 51.1% |
50.9%±14.4Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
88.6%±42.7Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Mendon 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 U.S.: 12.5% |
10.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
8.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 55.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
65.1% U.S.: 65.2% |
92.2%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 42 yrs older than U.S. |
1976 4 yrs older than U.S. |
1977Highest 3 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 14 minLowest 45% below U.S. |
16 min 41% below U.S. |
17 minHighest 36% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 8.4%±2.6Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
18.8%±4.1 U.S.: 15.1% |
22.5%±8.9Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Mendon and Middlebury 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 | #17 of 70 in VT | — |
| School district | OLEAN CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT | Patricia Hannaford Career Center · Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 | — |
| High school in town | OLEAN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL | Middlebury Union High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.2Lowest |
12.6Highest |
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| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet |
U.S. 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.