Compare towns
Arlington vs Townsend vs Duxbury
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Arlington has the most people working from home (35.9%).
Townsend has the most expensive homes ($433k median).
Duxbury has the youngest population (median age 37.5).
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.
| Measure | Arlington | Townsend | Duxbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 2,598 |
9,100Highest |
1,548Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+2.3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+5.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 37.6±4 3% below U.S. |
40.9±3.3Highest 5% above U.S. |
37.5±4.4Lowest 4% below U.S. |
| Townsend and Arlington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 20.6%±3.9 U.S.: 22% |
21%±3.2Highest U.S.: 22% |
17.8%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Townsend and Arlington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 20.7%±3.2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
17.1%±2.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
13%±2.4Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Arlington and Townsend are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 55.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
35.5%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
58.5%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.3%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.1%±2.4 U.S.: 6.4% |
6.5%±3.3Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Duxbury and Townsend are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $102,308±$11kLowest 27% above U.S. |
$121,528±$23kHighest 51% above U.S. |
$105,208±$25k 30% above U.S. |
| Townsend and Duxbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $318,500±$59kLowest 4% below U.S. |
$433,200±$22kHighest 30% above U.S. |
$364,600±$27k 10% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,191±$172Lowest 16% below U.S. |
$1,469±$313Highest 4% above U.S. |
$1,318±$407 7% below U.S. |
| Townsend and Duxbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,549Lowest 46% above U.S. |
$6,031 93% above U.S. |
$6,564Highest 110% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 77.1%±9.5Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
50.6%±16.8 U.S.: 51.1% |
21.2%±21Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Below poverty line | 7.5% U.S.: 12.5% |
8.9%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
2.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
82%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
82.4% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1966Lowest 14 yrs older than U.S. |
1976 4 yrs older than U.S. |
1988Highest 8 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minLowest 23% below U.S. |
37 minHighest 41% above U.S. |
23 min 13% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 35.9%±10.8Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
10.5%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
18.6%±3.6 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #50 of 70 in VT | #136 of 282 in MA | — |
| School district | Arlington School District | North Middlesex | Harwood Unified Union School District #60 |
| High school in town | Arlington Memorial | North Middlesex Regional | Harwood Union Middle/High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.6 |
13.1Highest |
9.6Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.