What stands out worked out from the figures below

Colrain has the highest household income ($81k).

Montgomery has the most people working from home (16%).

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	Colrain	Montgomery
People
Population	1,627Highest	1,047Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-3.9%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	-1.4%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	49.6±8.7Lowest 28% above U.S.	51.5±11.3Highest 32% above U.S.
	Montgomery and Colrain 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%	15.5%±4.4Highest U.S.: 22%
	Montgomery and Colrain are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	30.4%±4.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	33.9%±8.2Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Montgomery and Colrain are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	37.3%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	52.8%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.8%±1.1 U.S.: 6.4%	2.8%±3.2 U.S.: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$80,673±$10kHighest about the U.S. average	$53,289±$24kLowest 34% below U.S.
	Colrain and Montgomery are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$284,300±$14kLowest 15% below U.S.	$323,200±$45kHighest about the U.S. average
	Montgomery and Colrain are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,102±$77Highest 22% below U.S.	$868±$209Lowest 39% below U.S.
	Colrain and Montgomery are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,317Lowest 38% above U.S.	$4,326Highest 39% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	46%±22.8Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	76.6%±68Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Montgomery and Colrain are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	7.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	15.6%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	86.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	80.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1963Lowest 17 yrs older than U.S.	1980Highest same as U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	34 minLowest 27% above U.S.	37 minHighest 41% above U.S.
Work from home	8.4%±2.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	16%±5.9Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Montgomery and Colrain are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	Mohawk Trail	Northern Mountain Valley Unified Union School District #85
High school in town	None in town	None in town
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.