What stands out worked out from the figures below

Oneida has the most affordable homes ($160k median).

Barre has the most expensive homes ($394k 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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Oneida	Barre
People
Population	10,171Highest	5,572Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-9.3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+2.4%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	47±2.4Highest 21% above U.S.	43.8±8.5Lowest 13% above U.S.
	Oneida and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	19%±2.4Highest U.S.: 22%	15.8%±5.4Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Oneida and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	21%±2.8Highest U.S.: 17.2%	19%±5.6Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Oneida and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	25.3%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	31.6%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.5%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	5.4%±3.2Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Barre and Oneida are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$61,597±$6kLowest 24% below U.S.	$107,727±$13kHighest 33% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$160,100±$9kLowest 52% below U.S.	$394,300±$55kHighest 19% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$903±$77Lowest 36% below U.S.	$1,030±$713Highest 27% below U.S.
	Barre and Oneida are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,778Lowest 21% above U.S.	$5,163Highest 66% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	48.2%±10.8Highest U.S.: 51.1%	38.2%±27.5Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Oneida and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	14.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	8.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	61.9%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	75.8%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1946Lowest 34 yrs older than U.S.	1971Highest 9 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	19 minLowest 28% below U.S.	36 minHighest 37% above U.S.
Work from home	8%±1.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	11.2%±4.6Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Barre and Oneida 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	#106 of 484 in NY	#134 of 282 in MA
School district	ONEIDA CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT	Quabbin
High school in town	ONEIDA SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL	Quabbin Regional High School
Students per teacherat that high school	11.4Lowest	12.9Highest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.