What stands out worked out from the figures below

Stowe has the most expensive homes ($648k median).

Oswego has the most affordable homes ($121k median).

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	Stowe	Oswego
People
Population	5,285Lowest	17,033Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+21.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	-6.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	46.3±7.6Highest 19% above U.S.	35.7±1.6Lowest 8% below U.S.
Kids under 18	22.5%±4.6Highest U.S.: 22%	21.9%±2.6Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Stowe and Oswego are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	25.8%±6.2Highest U.S.: 17.2%	18.3%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Stowe and Oswego are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	66.7%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	26.1%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	1.6%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	10.1%±2Highest U.S.: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$93,618±$33kHighest 16% above U.S.	$53,172±$4kLowest 34% below U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$647,800±$157kHighest 95% above U.S.	$120,600±$7kLowest 64% below U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,458±$242Highest 3% above U.S.	$1,109±$72Lowest 22% below U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$7,161Highest 130% above U.S.	$3,362Lowest 8% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	24.5%±15.9Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	60.4%±7.4Highest U.S.: 51.1%
Below poverty line	9.9%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	20.6%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	78.6%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	50.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1982Highest 2 yrs newer than U.S.	1938Lowest 42 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	19 minHighest 27% below U.S.	19 minLowest 30% below U.S.
Work from home	24.4%±8.9Highest U.S.: 15.1%	8.6%±2.9Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	—	#285 of 484 in NY
School district	Stowe Town School District	OSWEGO CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
High school in town	Stowe High School	OSWEGO HIGH SCHOOL
Students per teacherat that high school	11.3Lowest	12.5Highest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	None yet	None yet

U.S. 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.