What stands out worked out from the figures below

Ward has the most affordable homes ($134k median).

Decatur has the most people working from home (5.8%).

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	Ward	Decatur
People
Population	384Highest	328Lowest
Median age	57.3±5.6Highest 44% above NY	55.3±7.6Lowest 39% above NY
	Ward and Decatur are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	16.4%±5.7Highest NY: 20.5%	14.6%±4.9Lowest NY: 20.5%
	Ward and Decatur are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	34.9%±11.4Highest NY: 17.9%	27.7%±6.1Lowest NY: 17.9%
	Ward and Decatur are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	25.3%Highest NY: 40.2%	23.7%Lowest NY: 40.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.4%±2.8Lowest NY: 7%	4.3%±5Highest NY: 7%
	Decatur and Ward are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$75,104±$15kHighest 13% below NY	$69,375±$19kLowest 19% below NY
	Ward and Decatur are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$133,800±$31kLowest 68% below NY	$173,500±$40kHighest 59% below NY
	Decatur and Ward are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,075±$207Highest 34% below NY	$765±$109Lowest 53% below NY
	Ward and Decatur are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,118Lowest 53% below NY	$3,404Highest 48% below NY
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	7.1%±100Lowest NY: 52.1%	50%±100Highest NY: 52.1%
	Decatur and Ward are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	4.2%Lowest NY: 14%	8%Highest NY: 14%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	90.6%Lowest NY: 54.3%	93%Highest NY: 54.3%
Typical home builtmedian year	1979Highest 20 yrs newer than NY	1972Lowest 13 yrs newer than NY
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	40 minHighest 24% above NY	35 minLowest 6% above NY
Work from home	4.3%±4.1Lowest NY: 14.9%	5.8%±3.3Highest NY: 14.9%
	Decatur and Ward are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
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.