Compare towns
Brookfield vs Monroe vs Upton vs Cheshire
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Brookfield has the shortest commute (28 min average).
Monroe has the most homeowners (95.7%).
Upton has the most people working from home (22.8%).
Cheshire has the most affordable homes ($440k 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 | Brookfield | Monroe | Upton | Cheshire |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 17,706 |
18,949 |
8,189Lowest |
29,040Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | — | +6.1% U.S.: +7.4% |
— |
| Median age | 44.3±1.8 14% above U.S. |
43.5±2.2Lowest 12% above U.S. |
46.4±4.8Highest 19% above U.S. |
44.9±1.4 15% above U.S. |
| Upton and Cheshire are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 22.7%±3 U.S.: 22% |
25.2%±3Highest U.S.: 22% |
23.2%±4.5 U.S.: 22% |
21.9%±2.3Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Monroe and Upton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 18.8%±2.8 U.S.: 17.2% |
15.6%±2Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.7%±4.9 U.S.: 17.2% |
21.3%±1.8Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Cheshire and Upton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 58.3% U.S.: 35.7% |
57.3% U.S.: 35.7% |
53.5%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
60.7%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.3%±1.4 U.S.: 6.4% |
5.1%±1.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.4%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.5%±1.1 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Monroe and Cheshire are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $148,360±$11k 84% above U.S. |
$157,250±$12kHighest 95% above U.S. |
$155,508±$33k 93% above U.S. |
$146,528±$12kLowest 81% above U.S. |
| Monroe and Upton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $479,700±$24k 44% above U.S. |
$503,200±$31k 51% above U.S. |
$576,700±$41kHighest 73% above U.S. |
$440,000±$17kLowest 32% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,892±$183Highest 34% above U.S. |
$994±$860 30% below U.S. |
$948±$599Lowest 33% below U.S. |
$1,398±$116 about the U.S. average |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $7,594Lowest 143% above U.S. |
$10,000+Highest at least 221% above U.S. |
$8,376 169% above U.S. |
$7,755 149% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 35.9%±13.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
48.8%±46.4 U.S.: 51.1% |
52.8%±31Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
44.9%±6.3 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Upton and Monroe are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 4.1% U.S.: 12.5% |
2.6%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
3.2% U.S.: 12.5% |
5%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 86.5%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
95.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
86.7% U.S.: 65.2% |
86.6% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1978 2 yrs older than U.S. |
1978 2 yrs older than U.S. |
1981Highest 1 yr newer than U.S. |
1974Lowest 6 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minLowest 7% above U.S. |
34 min 29% above U.S. |
35 minHighest 34% above U.S. |
29 min 9% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 16.3%±3 U.S.: 15.1% |
15.4%±3.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
22.8%±5.3Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
19.1%±2.7 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Upton and Cheshire 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 | #67 of 149 in CT | #48 of 149 in CT | #46 of 282 in MA | #18 of 149 in CT |
| School district | Brookfield School District | Monroe School District | Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical · Mendon-Upton | Cheshire School District |
| High school in town | Brookfield High School | Masuk High School | Blackstone Valley | Cheshire High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.7 |
12.8Highest |
11.2Lowest |
11.6 |
| 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.