Compare towns
Olean vs Niagara Falls 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 affordable homes ($86k median).
Niagara Falls has grown the fastest since 2010 (-3%).
Oswego has the most renters (49.8% rent).
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 | Niagara Falls | Oswego |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 13,738Lowest |
47,987Highest |
17,033 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.6% NY: +4.2% |
-3%Highest NY: +4.2% |
-6.7%Lowest NY: +4.2% |
| Median age | 39±2.6 about the NY average |
40.8±1.3Highest about the NY average |
35.7±1.6Lowest 10% below NY |
| Niagara Falls and Olean are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 23.5%±2.9Highest NY: 20.5% |
21.2%±1.4Lowest NY: 20.5% |
21.9%±2.6 NY: 20.5% |
| Olean and Oswego are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.1%±2.5Highest NY: 17.9% |
18.5%±1.2 NY: 17.9% |
18.3%±2.1Lowest NY: 17.9% |
| Olean and Niagara Falls are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 29.9%Highest NY: 40.2% |
22.7%Lowest NY: 40.2% |
26.1% NY: 40.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.6%±1.1Lowest NY: 7% |
4.7%±1 NY: 7% |
10.1%±2Highest NY: 7% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $51,261±$7k 40% below NY |
$49,101±$2kLowest 43% below NY |
$53,172±$4kHighest 38% below NY |
| Oswego and Olean 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 |
$115,300±$6k 73% below NY |
$120,600±$7kHighest 72% below NY |
| Oswego and Niagara Falls are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $794±$52Lowest 51% below NY |
$823±$33 49% below NY |
$1,109±$72Highest 32% below NY |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,130 52% below NY |
$2,786Lowest 58% below NY |
$3,362Highest 49% below NY |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52%±9.1Lowest NY: 52.1% |
58.4%±6.1 NY: 52.1% |
60.4%±7.4Highest NY: 52.1% |
| Oswego and Niagara Falls 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% |
23.7% NY: 14% |
20.6%Lowest NY: 14% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 55.1% NY: 54.3% |
58.5%Highest NY: 54.3% |
50.2%Lowest NY: 54.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 21 yrs older than NY |
1949Highest 10 yrs older than NY |
1938Lowest 21 yrs older than NY |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 14 minLowest 56% below NY |
19 minHighest 41% below NY |
19 min 43% below NY |
| Work from home | 8.4%±2.6 NY: 14.9% |
7.4%±1.6Lowest 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 | #427 of 484 in NY | #285 of 484 in NY |
| School district | OLEAN CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT | NIAGARA FALLS CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT | OSWEGO CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT |
| High school in town | OLEAN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL | NIAGARA FALLS HIGH SCHOOL | OSWEGO HIGH SCHOOL |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.2Lowest |
15.3Highest |
12.5 |
| 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.