What stands out worked out from the figures below

Dalton has the most affordable homes ($296k median).

Acton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.6%).

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	Dalton	Acton
People
Population	6,256Lowest	24,155Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-6.3%Lowest MA: +7.4%	+9.6%Highest MA: +7.4%
Median age	49.7±5.8Highest 24% above MA	44.5±0.8Lowest 11% above MA
	Dalton and Acton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	20.6%±4.7Lowest MA: 19.4%	23.2%±2.5Highest MA: 19.4%
	Acton and Dalton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	27.9%±5.7Highest MA: 17.9%	17.6%±1.7Lowest MA: 17.9%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	44.3%Lowest MA: 47.3%	79.5%Highest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.3%±1.6Lowest MA: 7.9%	4.9%±1.2Highest MA: 7.9%
	Acton and Dalton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$79,438±$8kLowest 24% below MA	$158,230±$14kHighest 52% above MA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$295,700±$26kLowest 47% below MA	$807,300±$20kHighest 44% above MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$872±$70Lowest 51% below MA	$1,986±$155Highest 13% above MA
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,276Lowest 29% below MA	$10,000+Highest at least 67% above MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	41.2%±19Lowest MA: 51.8%	47.7%±11.3Highest MA: 51.8%
	Acton and Dalton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	7.4%Highest MA: 10%	3.4%Lowest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	70.7%Lowest MA: 62.5%	74.9%Highest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1957Lowest 7 yrs older than MA	1974Highest 10 yrs newer than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	22 minLowest 24% below MA	35 minHighest 19% above MA
Work from home	12.5%±7.1Lowest MA: 18.6%	35.9%±4.6Highest MA: 18.6%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#192 of 282 in MA	#13 of 282 in MA
School district	Central Berkshire	Acton-Boxborough
High school in town	Wahconah Regional High	Acton-Boxborough Regional High
Students per teacherat that high school	10.9Lowest	13.5Highest
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.