Compare towns
Bolton vs Lawrence vs Arlington
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bolton has the highest household income ($111k).
Lawrence has the most renters (71.9% rent).
Arlington has the most people working from home (35.9%).
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 | Bolton | Lawrence | Arlington |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,163Lowest |
88,736Highest |
2,598 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +10.1% U.S.: +7.4% |
+16.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 36.3±1.7 7% below U.S. |
32.6±0.9Lowest 16% below U.S. |
37.6±4Highest 3% below U.S. |
| Arlington and Bolton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 14.9%±4Lowest U.S.: 22% |
26.3%±1.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
20.6%±3.9 U.S.: 22% |
| Age 65+ | 6.7%±2.6Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
10.5%±0.9 U.S.: 17.2% |
20.7%±3.2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 58.4%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
16.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
55.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.7%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.4%±0.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.3%±1.7 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Lawrence and Arlington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $111,125±$17kHighest 38% above U.S. |
$60,433±$3kLowest 25% below U.S. |
$102,308±$11k 27% above U.S. |
| Bolton and Arlington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $311,600±$42kLowest 6% below U.S. |
$415,200±$23kHighest 25% above U.S. |
$318,500±$59k 4% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,299±$273 8% below U.S. |
$1,662±$50Highest 18% above U.S. |
$1,191±$172Lowest 16% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,826Highest 55% above U.S. |
$3,422Lowest 10% above U.S. |
$4,549 46% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 28%±30.8Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
60.6%±3.6 U.S.: 51.1% |
77.1%±9.5Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Below poverty line | 2.9%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
17.6%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
7.5% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 81.6% U.S.: 65.2% |
28.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
84%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1986Highest 6 yrs newer than U.S. |
1950Lowest 30 yrs older than U.S. |
1966 14 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minHighest 5% above U.S. |
23 min 13% below U.S. |
20 minLowest 23% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 22.9%±8.2 U.S.: 15.1% |
6.8%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
35.9%±10.8Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Arlington and Bolton 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 | — | #278 of 282 in MA | #50 of 70 in VT |
| School district | Mount Mansfield Unified Union School District #401 | Lawrence | Arlington School District |
| High school in town | None in town | Lawrence High School | Arlington Memorial |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 13.6Highest |
10.6Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.