Compare towns
Schenectady vs Rotterdam
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against New York.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Schenectady has the most renters (54.4% rent).
Rotterdam 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.
| Measure | Schenectady | Rotterdam |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 68,847Highest |
30,616Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +1.4%Lowest NY: +4.2% |
+4.9%Highest NY: +4.2% |
| Median age | 36.1±1Lowest 9% below NY |
39.9±1.3Highest about the NY average |
| Kids under 18 | 19.9%±1.2Lowest NY: 20.5% |
22.3%±2.1Highest NY: 20.5% |
| Rotterdam and Schenectady are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Age 65+ | 15.1%±1.1Lowest NY: 17.9% |
18.4%±1.4Highest NY: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 25.4%Lowest NY: 40.2% |
31.5%Highest NY: 40.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 9.8%±1Highest NY: 7% |
3.5%±0.8Lowest NY: 7% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $58,399±$3kLowest 32% below NY |
$86,331±$2kHighest about the NY average |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $168,800±$5kLowest 60% below NY |
$227,000±$4kHighest 46% below NY |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,145±$33Lowest 29% below NY |
$1,292±$70Highest 20% below NY |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,874Highest 26% below NY |
$4,845Lowest 26% below NY |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 58.5%±4.5Highest NY: 52.1% |
45.3%±7.9Lowest NY: 52.1% |
| Below poverty line | 23.8%Highest NY: 14% |
7%Lowest NY: 14% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 45.6%Lowest NY: 54.3% |
74.5%Highest NY: 54.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1941Lowest 18 yrs older than NY |
1960Highest 1 yr newer than NY |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 22 minLowest 33% below NY |
23 minHighest 31% below NY |
| Work from home | 10.9%±1.4Lowest NY: 14.9% |
15.1%±2.4Highest NY: 14.9% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #400 of 484 in NY | #137 of 484 in NY |
| School district | SCHENECTADY CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT | ROTTERDAM-MOHONASEN CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT · SCHALMONT CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT |
| High school in town | SCHENECTADY HIGH SCHOOL | MOHONASEN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 13.3Lowest |
14.0Highest |
| 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.