Compare towns
Olean vs Salisbury vs Middlebury
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).
Salisbury has the most homeowners (88.7%).
Middlebury has the most people working from home (19.1%).
Middlebury is a college town. 40.9% 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 | Salisbury | Middlebury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 13,738Highest |
1,200Lowest |
7,220 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.6%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+7.5% U.S.: +7.4% |
+10.9%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 39±2.6 about the U.S. average |
50.6±6.5Highest 30% above U.S. |
23.7±1.3Lowest 39% below U.S. |
| Kids under 18 | 23.5%±2.9Highest U.S.: 22% |
16.6%±3.2 U.S.: 22% |
8.5%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Age 65+ | 19.1%±2.5Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
30.4%±2.9Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
19.8%±2.6 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 29.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
34.6% U.S.: 35.7% |
61.9%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.6%±1.1 U.S.: 6.4% |
1.6%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
40.9%±2.3Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $51,261±$7kLowest 37% below U.S. |
$99,688±$21kHighest 23% above U.S. |
$86,250±$18k 7% above U.S. |
| Salisbury 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. |
$306,900±$51k 8% below U.S. |
$417,400±$31kHighest 25% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $794±$52Lowest 44% below U.S. |
$1,443±$984Highest about the U.S. average |
$1,201±$120 15% below U.S. |
| Salisbury 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 |
$4,842 55% above U.S. |
$6,795Highest 118% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52%±9.1 U.S.: 51.1% |
31.9%±22.6Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
56.6%±15.8Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Middlebury 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% |
4.6%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
15.2% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 55.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
88.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
56.8% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 42 yrs older than U.S. |
1967 13 yrs older than U.S. |
1977Highest 3 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 14 minLowest 45% below U.S. |
19 minHighest 29% below U.S. |
15 min 45% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 8.4%±2.6 U.S.: 15.1% |
6%±2.2Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
19.1%±4.4Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #337 of 484 in NY | — | #17 of 70 in VT |
| School district | OLEAN CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT | Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 | — |
| High school in town | OLEAN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL | None in town | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.2 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | 6 photos → |
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.