Compare towns
Oswego vs Olean vs Lackawanna
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against New York.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Oswego has the most renters (49.8% rent).
Olean has the most affordable homes ($86k median).
Lackawanna has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10%).
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 | Oswego | Olean | Lackawanna |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 17,033 |
13,738Lowest |
19,753Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -6.7%Lowest NY: +4.2% |
-3.6% NY: +4.2% |
+10%Highest NY: +4.2% |
| Median age | 35.7±1.6Lowest 10% below NY |
39±2.6Highest about the NY average |
37.9±3 5% below NY |
| Olean and Lackawanna are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 21.9%±2.6Lowest NY: 20.5% |
23.5%±2.9 NY: 20.5% |
24.6%±3Highest NY: 20.5% |
| Lackawanna and Olean are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 18.3%±2.1 NY: 17.9% |
19.1%±2.5Highest NY: 17.9% |
16.8%±2Lowest NY: 17.9% |
| Olean and Oswego are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 26.1% NY: 40.2% |
29.9%Highest NY: 40.2% |
20%Lowest NY: 40.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 10.1%±2Highest NY: 7% |
3.6%±1.1Lowest NY: 7% |
5.2%±1.5 NY: 7% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $53,172±$4kHighest 38% below NY |
$51,261±$7kLowest 40% below NY |
$52,110±$5k 39% below NY |
| Oswego and Lackawanna are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $120,600±$7k 72% below NY |
$86,100±$6kLowest 80% below NY |
$140,700±$8kHighest 67% below NY |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,109±$72Highest 32% below NY |
$794±$52Lowest 51% below NY |
$872±$37 46% below NY |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,362 49% below NY |
$3,130Lowest 52% below NY |
$3,745Highest 43% below NY |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 60.4%±7.4Highest NY: 52.1% |
52%±9.1 NY: 52.1% |
51.8%±8.5Lowest NY: 52.1% |
| Oswego and Olean are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 20.6%Lowest NY: 14% |
26.7%Highest NY: 14% |
23.2% NY: 14% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.2%Lowest NY: 54.3% |
55.1% NY: 54.3% |
56.2%Highest NY: 54.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 21 yrs older than NY |
1938Lowest 21 yrs older than NY |
1954Highest 5 yrs older than NY |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 19 min 43% below NY |
14 minLowest 56% below NY |
20 minHighest 39% below NY |
| Work from home | 8.6%±2.9Highest NY: 14.9% |
8.4%±2.6 NY: 14.9% |
7.8%±2.3Lowest NY: 14.9% |
| Oswego and Olean 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 | #285 of 484 in NY | #337 of 484 in NY | #396 of 484 in NY |
| School district | OSWEGO CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT | OLEAN CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT | LACKAWANNA CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT |
| High school in town | OSWEGO HIGH SCHOOL | OLEAN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL | LACKAWANNA HIGH SCHOOL |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Highest |
12.2 |
10.5Lowest |
| 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.