Compare towns
Auburn vs Mendon vs Leicester
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Auburn has the most renters (20.4% rent).
Mendon has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.7%).
Leicester has the youngest population (median age 42.4).
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 | Auburn | Mendon | Leicester |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 16,970Highest |
6,325Lowest |
11,113 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4.3% MA: +7.4% |
+6.7%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+1.1%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 44.8±1.6Highest 12% above MA |
44.1±4.4 10% above MA |
42.4±3.5Lowest 6% above MA |
| Auburn and Mendon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 21%±2.3 MA: 19.4% |
22.8%±6.2Highest MA: 19.4% |
20.2%±3.8Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Mendon and Auburn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 20.9%±2.2Highest MA: 17.9% |
14.7%±3.4Lowest MA: 17.9% |
18.9%±3.4 MA: 17.9% |
| Auburn and Leicester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 45.4% MA: 47.3% |
46.9%Highest MA: 47.3% |
31%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5%±1.3Lowest MA: 7.9% |
6.8%±2.5Highest MA: 7.9% |
6.3%±1.9 MA: 7.9% |
| Mendon and Leicester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $116,711±$10k 12% above MA |
$132,256±$33kHighest 27% above MA |
$105,173±$9kLowest about the MA average |
| Mendon and Auburn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $400,000±$16kLowest 29% below MA |
$616,000±$37kHighest 10% above MA |
$413,100±$23k 27% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,467±$155Lowest 17% below MA |
$1,840±$196Highest 4% above MA |
$1,487±$258 16% below MA |
| Mendon and Leicester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,289 12% below MA |
$7,213Highest 20% above MA |
$4,452Lowest 26% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.4%±10.5 MA: 51.8% |
78.7%±26Highest MA: 51.8% |
29.7%±14.8Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Mendon and Auburn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 5.2% MA: 10% |
7.1%Highest MA: 10% |
3.8%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.6%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
86.9% MA: 62.5% |
88.5%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1963Lowest 1 yr older than MA |
1985Highest 21 yrs newer than MA |
1965 1 yr newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minLowest 12% below MA |
30 minHighest 4% above MA |
27 min 6% below MA |
| Work from home | 14.1%±2.4 MA: 18.6% |
15.1%±5.7Highest MA: 18.6% |
13.1%±4.1Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Mendon and Auburn 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 | #106 of 282 in MA | #210 of 282 in MA | #222 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Auburn | Mendon-Upton | Leicester |
| High school in town | Auburn Senior High | None in town | Leicester High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.1Highest |
— | 10.7Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet |
MA 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.