What stands out worked out from the figures below

Buckland has grown the fastest since 2010 (-4.5%).

Dalton has the shortest commute (22 min average).

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	Buckland	Dalton
People
Population	2,036Lowest	6,256Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-4.5%Highest MA: +7.4%	-6.3%Lowest MA: +7.4%
Median age	49.5±5.4Lowest 24% above MA	49.7±5.8Highest 24% above MA
	Dalton and Buckland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	17.2%±3.9Lowest MA: 19.4%	20.6%±4.7Highest MA: 19.4%
	Dalton and Buckland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	26.4%±4.1Lowest MA: 17.9%	27.9%±5.7Highest MA: 17.9%
	Dalton and Buckland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	43.9%Lowest MA: 47.3%	44.3%Highest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.6%±1.2Highest MA: 7.9%	2.3%±1.6Lowest MA: 7.9%
	Buckland and Dalton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$82,877±$6kHighest 20% below MA	$79,438±$8kLowest 24% below MA
	Buckland and Dalton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$321,400±$25kHighest 43% below MA	$295,700±$26kLowest 47% below MA
	Buckland and Dalton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,111±$213Highest 37% below MA	$872±$70Lowest 51% below MA
	Buckland and Dalton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,761Highest 21% below MA	$4,276Lowest 29% below MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	58%±20.9Highest MA: 51.8%	41.2%±19Lowest MA: 51.8%
	Buckland and Dalton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	13%Highest MA: 10%	7.4%Lowest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	74.6%Highest MA: 62.5%	70.7%Lowest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1950Lowest 14 yrs older than MA	1957Highest 7 yrs older than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	31 minHighest 5% above MA	22 minLowest 24% below MA
Work from home	14.1%±5.6Highest MA: 18.6%	12.5%±7.1Lowest MA: 18.6%
	Buckland and Dalton 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	—	#192 of 282 in MA
School district	Mohawk Trail	Central Berkshire
High school in town	Mohawk Trail Regional School	Wahconah Regional High
Students per teacherat that high school	9.5Lowest	10.9Highest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.