What stands out worked out from the figures below

Bethlehem has the most kids (16.3% under 18).

Sharon has the most expensive homes ($591k 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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Bethlehem	Sharon
People
Population	3,423Highest	2,723Lowest
Median age	51.5±8.5Lowest 25% above CT	59.5±6Highest 45% above CT
	Sharon and Bethlehem are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	16.3%±4Highest CT: 20.2%	7.2%±3.2Lowest CT: 20.2%
Age 65+	24.5%±5.3Lowest CT: 18.5%	37.9%±9.3Highest CT: 18.5%
	Sharon and Bethlehem are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	39.2%Lowest CT: 42.5%	56.8%Highest CT: 42.5%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4.5%±3.1Highest CT: 7.1%	3.5%±2.5Lowest CT: 7.1%
	Bethlehem and Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$108,929±$16kHighest 14% above CT	$100,518±$15kLowest 5% above CT
	Bethlehem and Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$410,900±$36kLowest 12% above CT	$590,700±$156kHighest 61% above CT
	Sharon and Bethlehem are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,127±$124Lowest 24% below CT	$1,750±$1kHighest 18% above CT
	Sharon and Bethlehem are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,932Highest 11% below CT	$4,484Lowest 33% below CT
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	69.7%±38.5Highest CT: 52.6%	64%±16.2Lowest CT: 52.6%
	Bethlehem and Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	10.4%Lowest CT: 10%	10.8%Highest CT: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	70.2%Lowest CT: 66.5%	72.5%Highest CT: 66.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1976Highest 9 yrs newer than CT	1954Lowest 13 yrs older than CT
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	29 minLowest 9% above CT	30 minHighest 13% above CT
Work from home	13.9%±5Lowest CT: 16%	18.7%±6.8Highest CT: 16%
	Sharon and Bethlehem 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	#82 of 149 in CT	—
School district	Regional School District 14	Sharon School District
High school in town	None in town	None in town
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	None yet	None yet

CT 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.