Compare towns
Orange vs Scio vs Howard
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against New York.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Orange has the most people working from home (8.1%).
Scio has the shortest commute (21 min average).
Howard has grown the fastest since 2010 (-5.3%).
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 | Orange | Scio | Howard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,196Lowest |
1,495Highest |
1,254 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -12.5%Lowest NY: +4.2% |
-11.9% NY: +4.2% |
-5.3%Highest NY: +4.2% |
| Median age | 46.6±6.3Lowest 17% above NY |
47.4±10.3 19% above NY |
49.1±3.1Highest 23% above NY |
| Howard and Scio are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 18%±4Highest NY: 20.5% |
16.3%±3.3Lowest NY: 20.5% |
17.7%±3.5 NY: 20.5% |
| Orange and Howard are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 22.9%±4.1 NY: 17.9% |
22.1%±2.9Lowest NY: 17.9% |
24.6%±3.9Highest NY: 17.9% |
| Howard and Orange are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 16.8% NY: 40.2% |
19.7%Highest NY: 40.2% |
14.8%Lowest NY: 40.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 0%±1.7Lowest NY: 7% |
1.3%±1.5Highest NY: 7% |
0.8%±1.3 NY: 7% |
| Scio and Howard are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $60,000±$9kLowest 30% below NY |
$62,426±$11k 27% below NY |
$73,906±$5kHighest 14% below NY |
| Howard and Scio are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $119,200±$17k 72% below NY |
$117,100±$27kLowest 72% below NY |
$128,100±$25kHighest 70% below NY |
| Howard and Orange are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $932±$81Highest 43% below NY |
$863±$158 47% below NY |
$775±$242Lowest 52% below NY |
| Orange and Scio are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,667 59% below NY |
$3,227Highest 51% below NY |
$2,605Lowest 60% below NY |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 66.1%±42.6Highest NY: 52.1% |
44.3%±34.3 NY: 52.1% |
7.9%±64.3Lowest NY: 52.1% |
| Orange and Scio are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 12.7%Lowest NY: 14% |
17.6%Highest NY: 14% |
12.9% NY: 14% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84.9%Lowest NY: 54.3% |
90.2%Highest NY: 54.3% |
85.3% NY: 54.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1979Highest 20 yrs newer than NY |
1957Lowest 2 yrs older than NY |
1974 15 yrs newer than NY |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minHighest 8% below NY |
21 minLowest 37% below NY |
23 min 31% below NY |
| Work from home | 8.1%±4.3Highest NY: 14.9% |
6.3%±3.8 NY: 14.9% |
5.6%±3.2Lowest NY: 14.9% |
| Orange and Scio are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| 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.