What stands out worked out from the figures below

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

Stowe has grown the fastest since 2010 (+21.1%).

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	Stowe
People
Population	10,171Highest	5,285Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-9.3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+21.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	47±2.4Highest 21% above U.S.	46.3±7.6Lowest 19% above U.S.
	Oneida and Stowe are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	19%±2.4Lowest U.S.: 22%	22.5%±4.6Highest U.S.: 22%
	Stowe and Oneida are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	21%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	25.8%±6.2Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Stowe and Oneida 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%	66.7%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.5%±1.2Highest U.S.: 6.4%	1.6%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Oneida and Stowe 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.	$93,618±$33kHighest 16% above U.S.
	Stowe and Oneida are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$160,100±$9kLowest 52% below U.S.	$647,800±$157kHighest 95% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$903±$77Lowest 36% below U.S.	$1,458±$242Highest 3% above U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,778Lowest 21% above U.S.	$7,161Highest 130% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	48.2%±10.8Highest U.S.: 51.1%	24.5%±15.9Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Oneida and Stowe 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%	9.9%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	61.9%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	78.6%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1946Lowest 34 yrs older than U.S.	1982Highest 2 yrs newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	19 minLowest 28% below U.S.	19 minHighest 27% below U.S.
Work from home	8%±1.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	24.4%±8.9Highest U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#106 of 484 in NY	—
School district	ONEIDA CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT	Stowe Town School District
High school in town	ONEIDA SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL	Stowe High School
Students per teacherat that high school	11.4Highest	11.3Lowest
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.