Compare towns
Bridgewater vs Townsend vs Fairlee vs Braintree
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bridgewater has the most homeowners (85.4%).
Townsend has grown the fastest since 2010 (+2.3%).
Fairlee has the oldest housing (typical home built 1972).
Braintree has the most people working from home (19%).
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 | Bridgewater | Townsend | Fairlee | Braintree |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 980Lowest |
9,100Highest |
1,066 |
1,026 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+2.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+1.1% U.S.: +7.4% |
-3.1% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 57.1±8 47% above U.S. |
40.9±3.3Lowest 5% above U.S. |
56.2±8.7 44% above U.S. |
58.4±2.4Highest 50% above U.S. |
| Braintree and Bridgewater are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 12.8%±5.8 U.S.: 22% |
21%±3.2Highest U.S.: 22% |
12.2%±4.2Lowest U.S.: 22% |
12.3%±3.2 U.S.: 22% |
| Townsend and Bridgewater are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 30.2%±0.7 U.S.: 17.2% |
17.1%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
33.4%±5.2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
33.2%±3.4 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Fairlee and Braintree are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 40.3% U.S.: 35.7% |
35.5% U.S.: 35.7% |
46.5%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
30.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.8%±3.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.1%±2.4 U.S.: 6.4% |
5.3%±3.7 U.S.: 6.4% |
1.8%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Bridgewater and Fairlee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $70,272±$3kLowest 13% below U.S. |
$121,528±$23kHighest 51% above U.S. |
$74,760±$10k 7% below U.S. |
$79,803±$5k about the U.S. average |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $218,300±$55k 34% below U.S. |
$433,200±$22kHighest 30% above U.S. |
$274,200±$39k 18% below U.S. |
$217,700±$28kLowest 35% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $850±$778 40% below U.S. |
$1,469±$313Highest 4% above U.S. |
$1,083±$242 23% below U.S. |
$840±$405Lowest 41% below U.S. |
| Townsend and Fairlee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,418Lowest 10% above U.S. |
$6,031Highest 93% above U.S. |
$5,617 80% above U.S. |
$3,908 25% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 59.7%±39.1 U.S.: 51.1% |
50.6%±16.8 U.S.: 51.1% |
89.2%±71.3Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
43.4%±29.4Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Fairlee and Bridgewater are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 14.8%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
8.9%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
14.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
11.1% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 85.4%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
82% U.S.: 65.2% |
80.9%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
81% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976 4 yrs older than U.S. |
1976 4 yrs older than U.S. |
1972Lowest 8 yrs older than U.S. |
1979Highest 1 yr older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minLowest 9% below U.S. |
37 minHighest 41% above U.S. |
24 min 8% below U.S. |
26 min about the U.S. average |
| Work from home | 10.5%±6.6Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
10.5%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
15%±7.9 U.S.: 15.1% |
19%±7.2Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Braintree and Fairlee 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 | — | #136 of 282 in MA | — | — |
| School district | — | North Middlesex | Rivendell Interstate School District | Orange Southwest Unified Union School District #59 |
| High school in town | — | North Middlesex Regional | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 13.1 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.