What stands out worked out from the figures below

Chicopee has the most affordable homes ($275k 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	Chicopee	Pelham
People
Population	55,295Highest	14,449Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+0.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+10.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	41.9±1.4Highest 8% above U.S.	41.5±2.7Lowest 7% above U.S.
	Chicopee and Pelham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	19.2%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 22%	22%±2.7Highest U.S.: 22%
	Pelham and Chicopee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	19.5%±1.4Highest U.S.: 17.2%	16.5%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Chicopee and Pelham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	22.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	40%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.7%±0.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	5.9%±1.3Highest U.S.: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$62,615±$6kLowest 22% below U.S.	$135,956±$19kHighest 68% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$274,500±$8kLowest 17% below U.S.	$552,600±$27kHighest 66% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,157±$50Lowest 18% below U.S.	$1,425±$88Highest about the U.S. average
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,847Lowest 23% above U.S.	$8,634Highest 177% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	52%±5.6Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	67.3%±12.5Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Pelham and Chicopee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	17.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	3.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	55.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	86.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1958Lowest 22 yrs older than U.S.	1987Highest 7 yrs newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	21 minLowest 19% below U.S.	30 minHighest 12% above U.S.
Work from home	8%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	22.8%±3.3Highest U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#247 of 282 in MA	#48 of 120 in NH
School district	Chicopee	Pelham School District
High school in town	Chicopee Comprehensive High School	Pelham High School
Students per teacherat that high school	11.2Highest	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.