What stands out worked out from the figures below

Strafford has the most people working from home (16.1%).

Marion has the most affordable homes ($180k 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	Strafford	Marion
People
Population	1,372Lowest	4,523Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-0.4%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	-3.8%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	51.4±4.7Highest 32% above U.S.	47.9±4.2Lowest 23% above U.S.
	Strafford and Marion are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	23%±5.2Highest U.S.: 22%	16.4%±4.1Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Strafford and Marion are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	22.1%±3.4Highest U.S.: 17.2%	19.1%±4.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Strafford and Marion are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	53.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	20%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.1%±2.6Highest U.S.: 6.4%	3.3%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Strafford and Marion are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$110,833±$19kHighest 37% above U.S.	$80,469±$12kLowest about the U.S. average
	Strafford and Marion are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$431,300±$40kHighest 30% above U.S.	$180,300±$27kLowest 46% below U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,125±$789Highest 20% below U.S.	$639±$394Lowest 55% below U.S.
	Strafford and Marion are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$7,149Highest 129% above U.S.	$4,580Lowest 47% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	44.6%±48Highest U.S.: 51.1%	44%±16.8Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Strafford and Marion are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	5.2% U.S.: 12.5%	5.2% U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	88.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	76.9%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1980Highest same as U.S.	1974Lowest 6 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	23 minLowest 13% below U.S.	25 minHighest 7% below U.S.
Work from home	16.1%±4.3Highest U.S.: 15.1%	5.9%±3.6Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	—	#194 of 484 in NY
School district	Strafford School District	MARION CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
High school in town	None in town	MARION JUNIOR-SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Students per teacherat that high school	—	9.6
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.