What stands out worked out from the figures below

Chelsea has the most renters (74% rent).

Pelham has the most homeowners (86.7%).

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	Chelsea	Pelham
People
Population	39,908Highest	14,449Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+15.9%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	+10.3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	34.4±1.3Lowest 12% below U.S.	41.5±2.7Highest 7% above U.S.
Kids under 18	24.4%±2.1Highest U.S.: 22%	22%±2.7Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Chelsea and Pelham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	10.5%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	16.5%±1.8Highest U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	22.2%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	40%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5%±1Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	5.9%±1.3Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Pelham and Chelsea are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$72,179±$8kLowest 11% below U.S.	$135,956±$19kHighest 68% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$493,500±$24kLowest 48% above U.S.	$552,600±$27kHighest 66% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,956±$96Highest 38% above U.S.	$1,425±$88Lowest about the U.S. average
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,321Lowest 6% above U.S.	$8,634Highest 177% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	59.4%±5.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	67.3%±12.5Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Pelham and Chelsea are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	20.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	3.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	26%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	86.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1941Lowest 39 yrs older than U.S.	1987Highest 7 yrs newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	33 minHighest 25% above U.S.	30 minLowest 12% above U.S.
Work from home	10.4%±2.2Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	22.8%±3.3Highest U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#280 of 282 in MA	#48 of 120 in NH
School district	Chelsea	Pelham School District
High school in town	Chelsea High	Pelham High School
Students per teacherat that high school	13.1Highest	10.4Lowest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.