Compare towns
Barrington vs Dracut vs Townsend
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Barrington has the most people working from home (18.7%).
Dracut has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.7%).
Townsend has the highest household income ($122k).
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 | Barrington | Dracut | Townsend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 9,489 |
32,574Highest |
9,100Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +8.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
+10.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+2.3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 38.7±2.3Lowest about the U.S. average |
41.7±2Highest 7% above U.S. |
40.9±3.3 5% above U.S. |
| Dracut and Townsend are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 23.7%±4Highest U.S.: 22% |
21.4%±2.4 U.S.: 22% |
21%±3.2Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Barrington and Dracut are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 15.6%±2.7Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
18.2%±2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
17.1%±2.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Dracut and Townsend are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 42.4%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
36.4% U.S.: 35.7% |
35.5%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.3%±1.9Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.1%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.1%±2.4Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Barrington and Dracut are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $110,323±$14kLowest 37% above U.S. |
$114,036±$10k 41% above U.S. |
$121,528±$23kHighest 51% above U.S. |
| Townsend and Dracut are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $399,100±$30kLowest 20% above U.S. |
$473,900±$17kHighest 42% above U.S. |
$433,200±$22k 30% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,867±$194Highest 32% above U.S. |
$1,839±$130 30% above U.S. |
$1,469±$313Lowest 4% above U.S. |
| Barrington and Dracut are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $7,121Highest 128% above U.S. |
$5,375Lowest 72% above U.S. |
$6,031 93% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 63.1%±25.2Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
57.6%±7.4 U.S.: 51.1% |
50.6%±16.8Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Barrington and Dracut are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.1%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
7.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
8.9%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
79.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
82% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1987Highest 7 yrs newer than U.S. |
1975Lowest 5 yrs older than U.S. |
1976 4 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minLowest 14% above U.S. |
30 min 15% above U.S. |
37 minHighest 41% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 18.7%±4.1Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
11.4%±2 U.S.: 15.1% |
10.5%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #65 of 120 in NH | #201 of 282 in MA | #136 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Barrington School District | Dracut | North Middlesex |
| High school in town | None in town | Dracut Senior High | North Middlesex Regional |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.9Lowest |
13.1Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.