What stands out worked out from the figures below

Conway has the most people working from home (29.1%).

Marion has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9%).

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	Conway	Marion
People
Population	1,755Lowest	5,310Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-7.2%Lowest MA: +7.4%	+9%Highest MA: +7.4%
Median age	55.6±3Highest 39% above MA	53.8±4Lowest 35% above MA
	Conway and Marion are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	16.5%±3.3Lowest MA: 19.4%	16.7%±4.7Highest MA: 19.4%
	Marion and Conway are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	31.9%±4.1Highest MA: 17.9%	27.3%±5.7Lowest MA: 17.9%
	Conway and Marion are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	60.5%Highest MA: 47.3%	46.7%Lowest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.6%±1.2Lowest MA: 7.9%	7.7%±4.3Highest MA: 7.9%
	Marion and Conway are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$97,250±$11kLowest 6% below MA	$143,092±$30kHighest 38% above MA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$395,900±$25kLowest 30% below MA	$653,500±$47kHighest 16% above MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,800±$990Highest about the MA average	$1,176±$516Lowest 33% below MA
	Conway and Marion are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,797Highest 3% below MA	$5,766Lowest 4% below MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	23.9%±33.6Lowest MA: 51.8%	75.8%±26.8Highest MA: 51.8%
	Marion and Conway are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	4.4%Lowest MA: 10%	9%Highest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	93.4%Highest MA: 62.5%	90.8%Lowest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1976Highest 12 yrs newer than MA	1962Lowest 2 yrs older than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	24 minLowest 18% below MA	34 minHighest 15% above MA
Work from home	29.1%±8.5Highest MA: 18.6%	20.1%±8.3Lowest MA: 18.6%
	Conway and Marion 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	—	#141 of 282 in MA
School district	Conway	Marion
High school in town	None in town	None in town
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.