Compare towns
Cheshire vs Hampton vs East Brookfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Cheshire has the most affordable homes ($268k median).
Hampton has the most people working from home (17.7%).
East Brookfield has the most expensive homes ($381k 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.
| Measure | Cheshire | Hampton | East Brookfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 3,216Highest |
1,647Lowest |
2,166 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +0.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
— | +1.9%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 53.7±4.5Highest 38% above U.S. |
51.5±5.3Lowest 32% above U.S. |
52.1±6.4 34% above U.S. |
| Cheshire and East Brookfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 15.3%±4.2Lowest U.S.: 22% |
19.7%±5.3Highest U.S.: 22% |
15.3%±2.6Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Hampton and Cheshire are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 30.5%±7.1Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
26.1%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
26.7%±5.2 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Cheshire and East Brookfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 26.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
29.9%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
27% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5%±2.5Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
1.9%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.7%±1.4 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cheshire and East Brookfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $69,803±$14kLowest 14% below U.S. |
$109,167±$19kHighest 35% above U.S. |
$81,042±$16k about the U.S. average |
| Hampton and East Brookfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $268,200±$48kLowest 19% below U.S. |
$295,800±$27k 11% below U.S. |
$381,200±$30kHighest 15% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,285±$288Highest 9% below U.S. |
$1,142±$33Lowest 19% below U.S. |
| Hampton and East Brookfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,005Lowest 4% below U.S. |
$4,364 40% above U.S. |
$4,430Highest 42% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 21.2%±24Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
52.5%±51.5Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
34.2%±39.5 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Hampton and East Brookfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 8.6%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
5.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
7.1% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 89% U.S.: 65.2% |
90%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
83.3%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1964Lowest 16 yrs older than U.S. |
1980Highest same as U.S. |
1968 12 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minLowest 10% above U.S. |
29 minLowest 10% above U.S. |
33 minHighest 26% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 4.4%±2.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
17.7%±5.1Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
7.3%±3.1 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #274 of 282 in MA | — | — |
| School district | Hoosac Valley Regional | Hampton School District | Spencer-E Brookfield |
| High school in town | Hoosac Valley High School | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.5 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.