Compare towns
Athol vs Windham vs Winchendon
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Athol has the most affordable homes ($249k median).
Windham has the most people working from home (20.5%).
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 | Athol | Windham | Winchendon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,801 |
594Lowest |
10,440Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
— | +0.6%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 36.8±3.3Lowest 5% below U.S. |
44.2±7.4Highest 14% above U.S. |
39.6±1.9 about the U.S. average |
| Windham and Winchendon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 25.2%±4.1Highest U.S.: 22% |
17.5%±7.9Lowest U.S.: 22% |
21.8%±3.9 U.S.: 22% |
| Athol and Winchendon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 15%±2.2Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
23.2%±8.1Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
16.9%±2.7 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Windham and Winchendon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 21.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
48.1%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
21.4%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.9%±1.4 U.S.: 6.4% |
0.8%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.5%±1.5Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Winchendon and Athol are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $67,394±$8kLowest 17% below U.S. |
$94,500±$12kHighest 17% above U.S. |
$75,690±$14k 6% below U.S. |
| Windham and Winchendon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $248,700±$15kLowest 25% below U.S. |
$353,900±$20kHighest 6% above U.S. |
$323,800±$19k about the U.S. average |
| Windham and Winchendon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,120±$173Lowest 21% below U.S. |
— | $1,255±$163Highest 11% below U.S. |
| Winchendon and Athol are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,170Lowest about the U.S. average |
$5,951Highest 91% above U.S. |
$3,780 21% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 59.2%±17.9 U.S.: 51.1% |
41.2%±94Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
61.7%±17.6Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Winchendon and Athol are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 21%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
9.9%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
18.5% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 63.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
82.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
76.6% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1940Lowest 40 yrs older than U.S. |
1982Highest 2 yrs newer than U.S. |
1981 1 yr newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minLowest about the U.S. average |
27 min about the U.S. average |
32 minHighest 23% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 9.7%±3.9Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
20.5%±5.6Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
11.2%±3.1 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #256 of 282 in MA | — | #269 of 282 in MA |
| School district | — | — | Winchendon |
| High school in town | — | — | Murdock High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 11.3 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | 6 photos → |
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.