What stands out worked out from the figures below

Chelmsford has the most expensive homes ($594k median).

Pelham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.3%).

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	Chelmsford	Pelham
People
Population	36,446Highest	14,449Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+7.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+10.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	41.6±1.9Highest 7% above U.S.	41.5±2.7Lowest 7% above U.S.
	Chelmsford and Pelham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	21.6%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 22%	22%±2.7Highest U.S.: 22%
	Pelham and Chelmsford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	18.1%±1.5Highest U.S.: 17.2%	16.5%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Chelmsford and Pelham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	52.8%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	40%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.3%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	5.9%±1.3Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Pelham and Chelmsford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$140,629±$8kHighest 74% above U.S.	$135,956±$19kLowest 68% above U.S.
	Chelmsford and Pelham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$593,700±$17kHighest 78% above U.S.	$552,600±$27kLowest 66% above U.S.
	Chelmsford and Pelham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$2,062±$151Highest 46% above U.S.	$1,425±$88Lowest about the U.S. average
Property taxmedian, yearly	$8,047Lowest 158% above U.S.	$8,634Highest 177% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	51.7%±10Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	67.3%±12.5Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Pelham and Chelmsford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	4.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	3.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	82.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	86.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1967Lowest 13 yrs older than U.S.	1987Highest 7 yrs newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	28 minLowest 6% above U.S.	30 minHighest 12% above U.S.
Work from home	22.8%±2.3 U.S.: 15.1%	22.8%±3.3 U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#79 of 282 in MA	#48 of 120 in NH
School district	Chelmsford	Pelham School District
High school in town	Chelmsford High	Pelham High School
Students per teacherat that high school	14.0Highest	10.4Lowest
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.