Compare towns
Barnet vs Canton vs Sharon vs Wallingford
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Barnet has the most affordable homes ($248k median).
Canton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+13%).
Wallingford has the shortest commute (25 min average).
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 | Barnet | Canton | Sharon | Wallingford |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,855 |
24,748Highest |
1,577Lowest |
2,286 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2.6%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+13%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+3.9% U.S.: +7.4% |
+2.4% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 47.7±5.3Highest 23% above U.S. |
42.6±2.3Lowest 10% above U.S. |
45.6±7.7 17% above U.S. |
45.9±10.8 18% above U.S. |
| Barnet and Wallingford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 21.6%±4.9 U.S.: 22% |
22.9%±2.3Highest U.S.: 22% |
21%±5 U.S.: 22% |
18.7%±5Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Canton and Barnet are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 28.8%±3.8Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
18.8%±2Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
25.1%±3.6 U.S.: 17.2% |
23.9%±3.2 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Barnet and Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 35.6% U.S.: 35.7% |
67.5%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
37.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
30.3%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.5%±1Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
1.5%±0.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
1.5%±1.1 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $67,386±$15kLowest 17% below U.S. |
$143,381±$9kHighest 78% above U.S. |
$84,375±$17k 5% above U.S. |
$80,230±$15k about the U.S. average |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $247,900±$24kLowest 25% below U.S. |
$710,600±$27kHighest 114% above U.S. |
$346,700±$37k 4% above U.S. |
$261,900±$44k 21% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $974±$72 31% below U.S. |
$2,315±$178Highest 64% above U.S. |
$1,386±$155 about the U.S. average |
$891±$95Lowest 37% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,489 44% above U.S. |
$6,560Highest 110% above U.S. |
$5,903 89% above U.S. |
$4,355Lowest 40% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 59.3%±29.9Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
52.4%±9.1 U.S.: 51.1% |
19.8%±17.9 U.S.: 51.1% |
14.3%±13.5Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Barnet and Canton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 8.2%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
5.2% U.S.: 12.5% |
3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
7% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
73.6%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
79.7% U.S.: 65.2% |
82.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1974 6 yrs older than U.S. |
1980 same as U.S. |
1981Highest 1 yr newer than U.S. |
1971Lowest 9 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 5% above U.S. |
36 minHighest 36% above U.S. |
26 min about the U.S. average |
25 minLowest 6% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 13.3%±4.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
25.7%±3.3Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
12.7%±3.7 U.S.: 15.1% |
7.1%±3.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | #81 of 282 in MA | — | — |
| School district | Caledonia Cooperative Unified School District #78 | Blue Hills Regional Vocational Technical · Canton | Sharon School District | Mill River Unified Union School District #52 |
| High school in town | None in town | Canton High | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 13.1 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.