What stands out worked out from the figures below

Chicopee has the shortest commute (21 min average).

Putnam has the highest household income ($71k).

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	Putnam
People
Population	55,295Highest	9,292Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+0.5% U.S.: +7.4%	—
Median age	41.9±1.4Lowest 8% above U.S.	43.7±3Highest 12% above U.S.
	Putnam and Chicopee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	19.2%±1.7Highest U.S.: 22%	18.6%±3.6Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Chicopee and Putnam 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%	18.5%±3.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Chicopee and Putnam are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	22.9%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	20%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.7%±0.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	3.9%±1.4Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Putnam and Chicopee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$62,615±$6kLowest 22% below U.S.	$70,561±$7kHighest 13% below U.S.
	Putnam and Chicopee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$274,500±$8kHighest 17% below U.S.	$269,200±$11kLowest 19% below U.S.
	Chicopee and Putnam are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,157±$50Highest 18% below U.S.	$1,149±$44Lowest 19% below U.S.
	Chicopee and Putnam are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,847Lowest 23% above U.S.	$3,860Highest 24% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	52%±5.6Highest U.S.: 51.1%	37.7%±11.6Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Chicopee and Putnam 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%	11.5%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	55.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	59.8%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1958Lowest 22 yrs older than U.S.	1961Highest 19 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	21 minLowest 19% below U.S.	25 minHighest 6% below U.S.
Work from home	8%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	9%±2.8Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Putnam and Chicopee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#247 of 282 in MA	#128 of 149 in CT
School district	Chicopee	Putnam School District
High school in town	Chicopee Comprehensive High School	Putnam High School
Students per teacherat that high school	11.2Highest	9.5Lowest
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.