Compare towns
Brooklyn vs Hadley vs Preston
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Brooklyn has the most affordable homes ($315k median).
Hadley has the most people working from home (20.1%).
Preston has the most homeowners (91.7%).
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 | Brooklyn | Hadley | Preston |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,517Highest |
5,306 |
4,821Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +1.4% U.S.: +7.4% |
— |
| Median age | 45.6±2.5Lowest 17% above U.S. |
45.8±7.1 18% above U.S. |
46.2±7Highest 19% above U.S. |
| Preston and Hadley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 20.6%±4.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
16.2%±4.6Lowest U.S.: 22% |
18.7%±4.4 U.S.: 22% |
| Brooklyn and Preston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 17.6%±2.9Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
24.2%±4.8Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
23%±4.7 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Hadley and Preston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 23.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
61.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
28.5% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±1.7 U.S.: 6.4% |
10.9%±5.7Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.9%±2.4Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Hadley and Brooklyn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $96,207±$15kLowest 19% above U.S. |
$119,259±$12kHighest 48% above U.S. |
$116,648±$27k 44% above U.S. |
| Hadley and Preston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $315,200±$28kLowest 5% below U.S. |
$511,000±$43kHighest 54% above U.S. |
$361,900±$13k 9% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,125±$98Lowest 20% below U.S. |
$1,402±$132 about the U.S. average |
$1,433±$1kHighest about the U.S. average |
| Preston and Hadley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,538Lowest 45% above U.S. |
$5,271Highest 69% above U.S. |
$4,749 52% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 38.5%±19.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
38.6%±18.9 U.S.: 51.1% |
52.6%±12.5Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Preston and Hadley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 2.3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
6.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
2.4% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 81.7% U.S.: 65.2% |
73.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
91.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1978Highest 2 yrs older than U.S. |
1971 9 yrs older than U.S. |
1970Lowest 10 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 minHighest about the U.S. average |
20 minLowest 26% below U.S. |
22 min 16% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 10.7%±5.4 U.S.: 15.1% |
20.1%±7.4Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
10.3%±6Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Hadley and Brooklyn 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 | #113 of 149 in CT | #116 of 282 in MA | #93 of 149 in CT |
| School district | Brooklyn School District | Hadley | Preston School District |
| High school in town | None in town | Hopkins Academy | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 7.3 |
— |
| 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.