Compare towns
Cheshire vs Mansfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Cheshire has the most affordable homes ($268k median).
Mansfield has the most people working from home (20%).
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 | Mansfield |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 3,216Lowest |
23,931Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +0.7%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+2.9%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 53.7±4.5Highest 34% above MA |
41.4±1.3Lowest 4% above MA |
| Kids under 18 | 15.3%±4.2Lowest MA: 19.4% |
22.4%±2.4Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 30.5%±7.1Highest MA: 17.9% |
15.4%±2Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 26.9%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
51.1%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5%±2.5Lowest MA: 7.9% |
5.5%±1.3Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Mansfield and Cheshire 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 33% below MA |
$125,273±$15kHighest 21% above MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $268,200±$48kLowest 52% below MA |
$603,500±$28kHighest 7% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,803±$147 about the MA average |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,005Lowest 50% below MA |
$7,226Highest 21% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 21.2%±24Lowest MA: 51.8% |
38.2%±8.5Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Mansfield and Cheshire are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 8.6%Highest MA: 10% |
4.7%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 89%Highest MA: 62.5% |
73.1%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1964Lowest same as MA |
1980Highest 16 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minLowest about the MA average |
33 minHighest 13% above MA |
| Work from home | 4.4%±2.7Lowest MA: 18.6% |
20%±3.4Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #274 of 282 in MA | #60 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Hoosac Valley Regional | Mansfield |
| High school in town | Hoosac Valley High School | Mansfield High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.5Lowest |
11.1Highest |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.