Cato vs Melrose Park
Cato, New York versus Melrose Park, New York: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Melrose Park edges out Cato on overall objective livability (50 vs 42 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Cato | Melrose Park |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $64k | $123k |
| Cost of Living | $49k | $49k |
| Home Value | $138k | $207k |
| Monthly Rent | $875 | — |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $111 | $811 |
| Property Tax Rate | 2.07% | 2.47% |
| Income Tax | 10.90% | 10.90% |
| Sales Tax | 8.53% | 8.53% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 18.14% | 17.85% |
| Unemployment | 2.4% | 2.4% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 24°F | 24°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 71°F | 71°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 44.7 in | 44.3 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 78.6 in | 109.4 in |
| Sunny Days | 152 days | 203 days |
| Summer Humidity | 61°F | 60°F |
| Comfortable Days | 84 days | 86 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 30.5 | 43.8 |
| Air Quality | 43 AQI | 42 AQI |
| School Quality | 99.6 | 100.0 |
| Violent Crime | 1471/100k | 1471/100k |
| Property Crime | 1103/100k | 1103/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 403 | 1,997 |
| Median Age | 38.2 | 43.2 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.18 | 0.05 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.03 | 0.86 |
| Political Leaning | Even | Even |
| White (%) | 90.6% | 97.0% |
| Black (%) | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| Hispanic (%) | 0.7% | 2.1% |
| Asian (%) | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 8.7% | 0.7% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | — | 18 min |
| Walkability | 5.1/20 | 10.6/20 |
| Airport Distance | 56 mi | 60 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 90.0% | 95.8% |
| Amenities Nearby | 24.81 | 185.28 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Good |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Cato or Melrose Park more affordable?
- Melrose Park has the lower cost of living: its index is $49k, compared with Cato's $49k and Melrose Park's $49k.
- Is Cato or Melrose Park safer?
- Melrose Park has the lower violent crime rate. Cato reports 1471/100k and Melrose Park reports 1471/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Cato or Melrose Park?
- The median home value is $138k in Cato and $207k in Melrose Park, so homes are more affordable in Cato.