What stands out worked out from the figures below

Alton has the most people working from home (15.3%).

Hudson has the most affordable homes ($157k 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	Alton	Hudson
People
Population	819Lowest	1,305Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-6.9%Highest ME: +2.6%	-7.8%Lowest ME: +2.6%
Median age	49.1±5.9Highest 10% above ME	47.5±6.1Lowest 6% above ME
	Alton and Hudson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	18.1%±3.5Highest ME: 18.1%	17.2%±4Lowest ME: 18.1%
	Alton and Hudson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	21.7%±2.4Highest ME: 22.4%	18.9%±2.6Lowest ME: 22.4%
	Alton and Hudson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	16.2%Lowest ME: 36.2%	19.1%Highest ME: 36.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2%±1.1Lowest ME: 5.8%	5.1%±3.9Highest ME: 5.8%
	Hudson and Alton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$62,955±$9kLowest 16% below ME	$67,933±$12kHighest 9% below ME
	Hudson and Alton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$179,500±$25kHighest 39% below ME	$157,300±$9kLowest 47% below ME
	Alton and Hudson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$866±$48Lowest 24% below ME	$1,086±$307Highest 5% below ME
	Hudson and Alton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$1,476Lowest 51% below ME	$1,543Highest 49% below ME
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	76.3%±88.9Highest ME: 48.4%	10.3%±51.4Lowest ME: 48.4%
	Alton and Hudson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	24.3%Highest ME: 10.7%	6.5%Lowest ME: 10.7%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	83.5%Lowest ME: 74.3%	92.4%Highest ME: 74.3%
Typical home builtmedian year	1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME	1987Lowest 10 yrs newer than ME
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	25 minLowest about the ME average	31 minHighest 24% above ME
Work from home	15.3%±7.3Highest ME: 15.9%	8.6%±3.4Lowest ME: 15.9%
	Alton and Hudson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	RSU 34	—
High school in town	None in town	—
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	None yet	None yet

ME 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.