What stands out worked out from the figures below

Canton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+13%).

Charlton has the most affordable homes ($428k 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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Canton	Charlton
People
Population	24,748Highest	13,435Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+13%Highest MA: +7.4%	+2.6%Lowest MA: +7.4%
Median age	42.6±2.3Lowest 7% above MA	43±4Highest 8% above MA
	Charlton and Canton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	22.9%±2.3Lowest MA: 19.4%	24.7%±3.9Highest MA: 19.4%
	Charlton and Canton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	18.8%±2Highest MA: 17.9%	18%±2.8Lowest MA: 17.9%
	Canton and Charlton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	67.5%Highest MA: 47.3%	37.6%Lowest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4.5%±1Lowest MA: 7.9%	6.8%±2.6Highest MA: 7.9%
	Charlton and Canton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$143,381±$9kHighest 38% above MA	$117,587±$8kLowest 13% above MA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$710,600±$27kHighest 26% above MA	$427,500±$19kLowest 24% below MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$2,315±$178Highest 31% above MA	$1,381±$415Lowest 22% below MA
Property taxmedian, yearly	$6,560Highest 9% above MA	$4,617Lowest 23% below MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	52.4%±9.1Highest MA: 51.8%	41.3%±9.3Lowest MA: 51.8%
	Canton and Charlton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	5.2%Highest MA: 10%	2.5%Lowest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	73.6%Lowest MA: 62.5%	84.9%Highest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1980Lowest 16 yrs newer than MA	1985Highest 21 yrs newer than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	36 minHighest 23% above MA	33 minLowest 13% above MA
Work from home	25.7%±3.3Highest MA: 18.6%	13%±4.2Lowest MA: 18.6%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#81 of 282 in MA	#133 of 282 in MA
School district	Blue Hills Regional Vocational Technical · Canton	Dudley-Charlton Reg · Southern Worcester County Regional Vocational School Distric
High school in town	Canton High	Bay Path Regional Vocational Technical High School
Students per teacherat that high school	13.1Highest	9.7Lowest
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.