What stands out worked out from the figures below

Buckland has the most affordable homes ($321k median).

Hatfield has grown the fastest since 2010 (+2.2%).

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	Hatfield
People
Population	2,036Lowest	3,325Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-4.5%Lowest MA: +7.4%	+2.2%Highest MA: +7.4%
Median age	49.5±5.4Highest 24% above MA	46.8±5Lowest 17% above MA
	Buckland and Hatfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	17.2%±3.9Highest MA: 19.4%	14%±4.3Lowest MA: 19.4%
	Buckland and Hatfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	26.4%±4.1Highest MA: 17.9%	23.3%±4.6Lowest MA: 17.9%
	Buckland and Hatfield 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%	48.5%Highest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.6%±1.2Lowest MA: 7.9%	5.1%±2.6Highest MA: 7.9%
	Hatfield and Buckland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$82,877±$6kLowest 20% below MA	$89,005±$25kHighest 14% below MA
	Hatfield and Buckland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$321,400±$25kLowest 43% below MA	$440,800±$26kHighest 22% below MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,111±$213Lowest 37% below MA	$1,267±$216Highest 28% below MA
	Hatfield and Buckland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,761Lowest 21% below MA	$4,930Highest 18% below MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	58%±20.9Highest MA: 51.8%	42.6%±11.8Lowest MA: 51.8%
	Buckland and Hatfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	13%Highest MA: 10%	8.9%Lowest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	74.6% MA: 62.5%	74.6% MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1950Lowest 14 yrs older than MA	1967Highest 3 yrs newer than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	31 minHighest 5% above MA	20 minLowest 30% below MA
Work from home	14.1%±5.6Lowest MA: 18.6%	16%±6.3Highest MA: 18.6%
	Hatfield and Buckland 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	—	#198 of 282 in MA
School district	Mohawk Trail	Hatfield
High school in town	Mohawk Trail Regional School	Smith Academy
Students per teacherat that high school	9.5Highest	6.1Lowest
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.