What stands out worked out from the figures below

Brooklyn has the most affordable homes ($315k median).

Princeton has the most people working from home (29.5%).

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	Brooklyn	Princeton
People
Population	8,517Highest	3,529Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	—	+2.4% U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	45.6±2.5Lowest 17% above U.S.	46.1±7Highest 19% above U.S.
	Princeton and Brooklyn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	20.6%±4.6Lowest U.S.: 22%	22.2%±4.6Highest U.S.: 22%
	Princeton and Brooklyn 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%	20.9%±3.6Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Princeton and Brooklyn 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%	59.4%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.4%±1.7Highest U.S.: 6.4%	1.9%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$96,207±$15kLowest 19% above U.S.	$158,750±$46kHighest 97% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$315,200±$28kLowest 5% below U.S.	$520,500±$48kHighest 56% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,125±$98Highest 20% below U.S.	$897±$852Lowest 37% below U.S.
	Brooklyn and Princeton 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.	$6,633Highest 113% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	38.5%±19.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	69.8%±46.7Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Princeton and Brooklyn 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%	4.2%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	81.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	94.3%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1978Highest 2 yrs older than U.S.	1975Lowest 5 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	27 minLowest about the U.S. average	37 minHighest 38% above U.S.
Work from home	10.7%±5.4Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	29.5%±6.8Highest U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#113 of 149 in CT	#59 of 282 in MA
School district	Brooklyn School District	Wachusett
High school in town	None in town	None in town
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.