Compare towns
Bellingham vs Douglas vs Mendon
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
Bordering BellinghamBellingham
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bellingham has the most renters (31.2% rent).
Douglas has the most people working from home (20.9%).
Mendon has the most expensive homes ($616k median).
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 | Bellingham | Douglas | Mendon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 5,325Lowest |
9,207Highest |
6,325 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -1.5%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+6% MA: +7.4% |
+6.7%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 44±7.6Lowest 10% above MA |
44±2.6Lowest 10% above MA |
44.1±4.4Highest 10% above MA |
| Mendon and Bellingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 18.4%±3.5Lowest MA: 19.4% |
21.2%±3.8 MA: 19.4% |
22.8%±6.2Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Mendon and Douglas are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 18.6%±4.6Highest MA: 17.9% |
15.4%±3.1 MA: 17.9% |
14.7%±3.4Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Bellingham and Douglas are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 35.3%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
41.7% MA: 47.3% |
46.9%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.4%±1.4Lowest MA: 7.9% |
5.4%±2.3 MA: 7.9% |
6.8%±2.5Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Mendon and Douglas are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $96,763±$14kLowest 7% below MA |
$152,267±$10kHighest 46% above MA |
$132,256±$33k 27% above MA |
| Douglas and Mendon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $431,200±$23kLowest 23% below MA |
$470,600±$29k 16% below MA |
$616,000±$37kHighest 10% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,009±$358Highest 14% above MA |
$1,503±$697Lowest 15% below MA |
$1,840±$196 4% above MA |
| Bellingham and Mendon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,477Lowest 25% below MA |
$6,338 6% above MA |
$7,213Highest 20% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 74.7%±25.4 MA: 51.8% |
33.9%±17.4Lowest MA: 51.8% |
78.7%±26Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Mendon and Bellingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 1.8%Lowest MA: 10% |
4.8% MA: 10% |
7.1%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 68.8%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
83.8% MA: 62.5% |
86.9%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975Lowest 11 yrs newer than MA |
1986Highest 22 yrs newer than MA |
1985 21 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 34 minHighest 18% above MA |
34 min 16% above MA |
30 minLowest 4% above MA |
| Work from home | 18%±4.3 MA: 18.6% |
20.9%±4.9Highest MA: 18.6% |
15.1%±5.7Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Douglas and Bellingham 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 | #232 of 282 in MA | #177 of 282 in MA | #210 of 282 in MA |
| School district | — | Douglas | Mendon-Upton |
| High school in town | — | Douglas High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 7.2 |
— |
| 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.