What stands out worked out from the figures below

Alstead has the most affordable homes ($272k median).

Uxbridge has grown the fastest since 2010 (+5.2%).

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	Alstead	Uxbridge
People
Population	1,551Lowest	14,473Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-3.8%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+5.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	56±3.3Highest 44% above U.S.	41.7±2.8Lowest 7% above U.S.
Kids under 18	12.3%±3.1Lowest U.S.: 22%	19.5%±3.4Highest U.S.: 22%
Age 65+	27.8%±4.2Highest U.S.: 17.2%	17.1%±2.5Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	28.3%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	38%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.4%±2.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	4.2%±1.5Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Uxbridge and Alstead are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$64,526±$11kLowest 20% below U.S.	$124,725±$7kHighest 54% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$271,600±$37kLowest 18% below U.S.	$441,100±$25kHighest 33% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	—	$1,555±$265 10% above U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,322Lowest 71% above U.S.	$5,836Highest 87% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	72.1%±22.3Highest U.S.: 51.1%	25.6%±5.5Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
Below poverty line	8.9%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	3.6%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	76%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	79.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1973Lowest 7 yrs older than U.S.	1976Highest 4 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	32 minLowest 20% above U.S.	37 minHighest 39% above U.S.
Work from home	12.1%±5.6Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	15.9%±3.8Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Uxbridge and Alstead are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	—	#183 of 282 in MA
School district	Fall Mountain Regional School District	Uxbridge
High school in town	None in town	Uxbridge High
Students per teacherat that high school	—	11.6
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.