What stands out worked out from the figures below

Braintree Town has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.5%).

Chelmsford has the most people working from home (22.8%).

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	Braintree Town	Chelmsford
People
Population	38,899Highest	36,446Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+9.5%Highest MA: +7.4%	+7.7%Lowest MA: +7.4%
Median age	41.3±1.2Lowest 3% above MA	41.6±1.9Highest 4% above MA
	Chelmsford and Braintree Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	20.6%±1.5Lowest MA: 19.4%	21.6%±1.8Highest MA: 19.4%
	Chelmsford and Braintree Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	17.6%±1.4Lowest MA: 17.9%	18.1%±1.5Highest MA: 17.9%
	Chelmsford and Braintree Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	47.5%Lowest MA: 47.3%	52.8%Highest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	6.5%±0.9Highest MA: 7.9%	5.3%±1.1Lowest MA: 7.9%
	Braintree Town and Chelmsford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$122,214±$10kLowest 18% above MA	$140,629±$8kHighest 35% above MA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$656,800±$14kHighest 17% above MA	$593,700±$17kLowest 6% above MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$2,024±$195Lowest 15% above MA	$2,062±$151Highest 17% above MA
	Chelmsford and Braintree Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,436Lowest 9% below MA	$8,047Highest 34% above MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	52.9%±7.5Highest MA: 51.8%	51.7%±10Lowest MA: 51.8%
	Braintree Town and Chelmsford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	5.9%Highest MA: 10%	4.7%Lowest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	77.6%Lowest MA: 62.5%	82.1%Highest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1957Lowest 7 yrs older than MA	1967Highest 3 yrs newer than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	33 minHighest 12% above MA	28 minLowest 4% below MA
Work from home	18.2%±2.3Lowest MA: 18.6%	22.8%±2.3Highest MA: 18.6%
	Chelmsford and Braintree Town 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	#84 of 282 in MA	#79 of 282 in MA
School district	Braintree	Chelmsford
High school in town	Braintree High	Chelmsford High
Students per teacherat that high school	15.7Highest	14.0Lowest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.