What stands out worked out from the figures below

Concord has the shortest commute (23 min average).

Northbridge has grown the fastest since 2010 (+4%).

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	Concord	Northbridge
People
Population	44,375Highest	16,458Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+4%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	40.7±1.3Lowest 5% above U.S.	43.8±2.6Highest 13% above U.S.
	Northbridge and Concord are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	17.2%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 22%	21.1%±2.9Highest U.S.: 22%
	Northbridge and Concord are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	18.7%±1.5Highest U.S.: 17.2%	16.4%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Concord and Northbridge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	42.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	36.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	6%±0.8Highest U.S.: 6.4%	4.3%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Concord and Northbridge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$84,902±$5kLowest 5% above U.S.	$111,319±$19kHighest 38% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$350,900±$13kLowest 5% above U.S.	$448,600±$15kHighest 35% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,441±$43Highest about the U.S. average	$1,207±$102Lowest 15% below U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$7,227Highest 132% above U.S.	$4,821Lowest 55% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	44.1%±5.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	51.2%±9.8Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Northbridge and Concord are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	8.9%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	7.9%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	56.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	70.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1969Lowest 11 yrs older than U.S.	1973Highest 7 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	23 minLowest 13% below U.S.	31 minHighest 17% above U.S.
Work from home	14.1%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	16.2%±3.6Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Northbridge and Concord 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	#89 of 120 in NH	#226 of 282 in MA
School district	Concord School District · Merrimack Valley School District	Northbridge
High school in town	Concord High School	Northbridge High
Students per teacherat that high school	13.0Highest	10.8Lowest
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.