What stands out worked out from the figures below

Charlton has the most affordable homes ($428k median).

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

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	Charlton	Brookline
People
Population	13,435Highest	5,736Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+2.6%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+13%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	43±4Highest 11% above U.S.	41.2±1.5Lowest 6% above U.S.
	Charlton and Brookline are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	24.7%±3.9Lowest U.S.: 22%	26.7%±4Highest U.S.: 22%
	Brookline and Charlton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	18%±2.8Highest U.S.: 17.2%	11.4%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	37.6%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	57.7%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	6.8%±2.6Highest U.S.: 6.4%	6.3%±3.2Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Charlton and Brookline are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$117,587±$8kLowest 46% above U.S.	$171,046±$4kHighest 112% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$427,500±$19kLowest 28% above U.S.	$544,400±$38kHighest 64% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,381±$415Lowest about the U.S. average	$2,500±$1kHighest 77% above U.S.
	Brookline and Charlton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,617Lowest 48% above U.S.	$10,000+Highest at least 221% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	41.3%±9.3Highest U.S.: 51.1%	23.8%±43.5Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Charlton and Brookline are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	2.5%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	0.6%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	84.9%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	95.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1985Lowest 5 yrs newer than U.S.	1993Highest 13 yrs newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	33 minLowest 24% above U.S.	33 minHighest 26% above U.S.
Work from home	13%±4.2Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	24.7%±5.8Highest U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#133 of 282 in MA	#23 of 120 in NH
School district	Dudley-Charlton Reg · Southern Worcester County Regional Vocational School Distric	Brookline School District
High school in town	Bay Path Regional Vocational Technical High School	None in town
Students per teacherat that high school	9.7	—
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.