Middletown vs Scotchtown

Which is the better fit for you?

Middletown, NY
56
Area Score
Bottom 41% nationally
Scotchtown, NY
66
Area Score
Top 25% nationally

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Scotchtown receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.

If you are moving

What the difference in prices, rent, homes and weather comes to, using the published figures for the two places. Add your income to see what it would take to keep pace.

Moving from Middletown to Scotchtown

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Everyday prices
About the same
Regional price level 109.7 against 109.7 (US = 100). Both places sit in the same price region, so the index cannot tell them apart.
Income to keep the same purchasing power
Enter your household income to see it.
A new two-bedroom lease
The same
HUD benchmarks it at $1,979 in Scotchtown against $1,979 in Middletown.
The median home
12% more
$344,300 in Scotchtown against $308,600 in Middletown.
The weather you would swap
Similar winters
Normal January lows are 17°F in Scotchtown against 17°F in Middletown; July highs are 84°F against 84°F (summers the same).

These are differences between published figures, not a forecast of your budget. Income and sales taxes, commuting, schools, insurance and the job you would actually get are not in them, and a price index describes a metropolitan area, so two places in one metro read the same. HUD’s rent is a benchmark for a new lease, not a listing.

Signals

Middletown
Scotchtown
Opportunity: Scotchtown is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
48 · Bottom 34%
vs
64 · Top 33%
Growth: Scotchtown is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
35 · Bottom 22%
vs
61 · Top 27%
Climate
61 · Bottom 19%
vs
61 · Bottom 19%
Physical resilience: Scotchtown is the more favorable of the two.
Physical resilience
74 · Top 31%
vs
75 · Top 31%
Housing affordability: Scotchtown is the more favorable of the two.
Housing affordability
70 · Top 41%
vs
78 · Top 19%
Schools: Scotchtown is the more favorable of the two.
Schools
37 · Bottom 33%
vs
46 · Bottom 45%
Access: Scotchtown is the more favorable of the two.
Access
94 · Top 42%
vs
97 · Top 25%
Economic stability: Scotchtown is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
48 · Bottom 32%
vs
68 · Top 29%

Measured values

MetricMiddletownScotchtownSource period
Population30,28910,2522024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income$79,346$96,689 — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income$32,965$42,361 — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Population density5,708/sq mi2,119/sq mi2024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value$308,600$344,3002024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent$1,661 — more favorable$1,8132024 ACS 5-Year
Market rent, two bedroom$1,979$1,979FY2026
Cost of living index109.7109.72023
Homeownership rate51.7%47.1%2024 ACS 5-Year
Unemployment rate4.9%4.2% — more favorableJuly 2026
Employment change (year over year)+0.2%+0.2%July 2026
Bachelor's degree or higher20.1%31.5% — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Poverty rate12.9%8.0% — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Housing units permitted (12 months)171,63212 months ending July 2026
Permits per 1,000 residents0.64.0 — more favorable12 months ending July 2026
Permit change (year over year)+88.9%−2.2%12 months ending July 2026
Average July high84°F84°F1991-2020 Normals
Average January low17°F17°F1991-2020 Normals
Annual precipitation41.0"41.0"1991-2020 Normals
Distance to major airport17 mi14 mi — more favorableNASR current cycle
Average commute36.7 min28.8 min — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Median age36.336.22024 ACS 5-Year
Students per teacher11.1 — more favorable11.42024-25 school year
Math proficiency58.4%63.0% — more favorable2018-19 school year
Reading proficiency54.4%58.9% — more favorable2018-19 school year

A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.

The number of units permitted is not marked because the larger place always permits more; the per-resident rate is the fair comparison. The year-over-year change is not marked either: a percentage on fewer than 300 units swings on a handful of permits.

Physical risk tradeoff

Middletown

Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.

Scotchtown

Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.

Your best match

Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.

Middletown
—
Middletown: Your Score
56
Area Score
Scotchtown
—
Scotchtown: Your Score
66
Area Score

Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.

Full profiles: Middletown, NY · Scotchtown, NY · How this is calculated: methodology