What stands out worked out from the figures below

Sennett has the most expensive homes ($279k median).

Java has grown the fastest since 2010 (-4.1%).

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	Sennett	Java
People
Population	3,264Highest	2,049Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-8.1%Lowest NY: +4.2%	-4.1%Highest NY: +4.2%
Median age	47.6±4.2Highest 20% above NY	44.2±5.5Lowest 11% above NY
	Sennett and Java are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	19.4%±4.7Lowest NY: 20.5%	20.7%±4.7Highest NY: 20.5%
	Java and Sennett are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	24.7%±4.3Highest NY: 17.9%	19.5%±3.6Lowest NY: 17.9%
	Sennett and Java are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	35.4%Highest NY: 40.2%	24.6%Lowest NY: 40.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	1.8%±1.5Lowest NY: 7%	3%±2.4Highest NY: 7%
	Java and Sennett are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$101,585±$18kHighest 18% above NY	$95,129±$24kLowest 11% above NY
	Sennett and Java are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$279,300±$33kHighest 34% below NY	$223,900±$30kLowest 47% below NY
	Sennett and Java are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$978±$217Highest 40% below NY	$863±$419Lowest 47% below NY
	Sennett and Java are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,397Highest 18% below NY	$3,775Lowest 43% below NY
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	49%±36.7Highest NY: 52.1%	2.5%±61.4Lowest NY: 52.1%
	Sennett and Java are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	5.1%Highest NY: 14%	3.7%Lowest NY: 14%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	91.2%Lowest NY: 54.3%	95.2%Highest NY: 54.3%
Typical home builtmedian year	1973Highest 14 yrs newer than NY	1956Lowest 3 yrs older than NY
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	21 minLowest 36% below NY	27 minHighest 17% below NY
Work from home	8.5%±3.9Lowest NY: 14.9%	9%±4.4Highest NY: 14.9%
	Java and Sennett are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	NEW YORK STATE OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES (OCFS)	—
High school in town	HARRIET TUBMAN RESIDENTIAL CENTER	—
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.