What stands out worked out from the figures below

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

Westminster has the most people working from home (27%).

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	Westminster
People
Population	10,171Highest	2,999Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-9.3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	-5.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	47±2.4Lowest 21% above U.S.	53.5±3.7Highest 38% above U.S.
Kids under 18	19%±2.4Highest U.S.: 22%	18.2%±4.7Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Oneida and Westminster 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%	27.6%±6.8Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Westminster 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%	46.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.5%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	4.4%±3.1Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Westminster 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.	$71,491±$4kHighest 11% below U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$160,100±$9kLowest 52% below U.S.	$273,800±$35kHighest 18% below U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$903±$77Lowest 36% below U.S.	$916±$126Highest 35% below U.S.
	Westminster 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.	$4,063Highest 30% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	48.2%±10.8Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	49.2%±7.5Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Westminster and Oneida 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%	8.8%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	61.9%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	88.2%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1946Lowest 34 yrs older than U.S.	1980Highest same as U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	19 minLowest 28% below U.S.	24 minHighest 10% below U.S.
Work from home	8%±1.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	27%±6.6Highest U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#106 of 484 in NY	#53 of 70 in VT
School district	ONEIDA CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT	Bellows Falls Union High School District #27 · Westminster School District
High school in town	ONEIDA SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL	Bellows Falls Union High School
Students per teacherat that high school	11.4Highest	10.6Lowest
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.