What stands out worked out from the figures below

Orange has the most affordable homes ($119k median).

Worcester has grown the fastest since 2010 (-4.9%).

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	Orange	Worcester
People
Population	1,196Lowest	2,149Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-12.5%Lowest NY: +4.2%	-4.9%Highest NY: +4.2%
Median age	46.6±6.3Highest 17% above NY	43.2±6.9Lowest 9% above NY
	Orange and Worcester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	18%±4Lowest NY: 20.5%	20.3%±3.3Highest NY: 20.5%
	Worcester and Orange are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	22.9%±4.1Highest NY: 17.9%	17.4%±2.6Lowest NY: 17.9%
	Orange and Worcester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	16.8%Lowest NY: 40.2%	26.9%Highest NY: 40.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	0%±1.7Lowest NY: 7%	6.5%±5.5Highest NY: 7%
	Worcester and Orange 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	$69,886±$23kHighest 19% below NY
	Worcester and Orange are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$119,200±$17kLowest 72% below NY	$155,300±$43kHighest 63% below NY
	Worcester 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	$736±$327Lowest 55% below NY
	Orange and Worcester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$2,667Highest 59% below NY	$2,602Lowest 60% below NY
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	66.1%±42.6Lowest NY: 52.1%	91.8%±41.9Highest NY: 52.1%
	Worcester and Orange 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%	21.7%Highest NY: 14%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	84.9%Lowest NY: 54.3%	90.7%Highest NY: 54.3%
Typical home builtmedian year	1979Highest 20 yrs newer than NY	1938Lowest 21 yrs older than NY
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	30 minHighest 8% below NY	26 minLowest 19% below NY
Work from home	8.1%±4.3Lowest NY: 14.9%	8.4%±4.6Highest NY: 14.9%
	Worcester and Orange 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

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.