Compare towns
Deerfield vs Brookline vs Sunderland
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Deerfield has the highest household income ($106k).
Brookline has grown the fastest since 2010 (+1.9%).
Sunderland has the most renters (58% rent).
Sunderland is a college town. 25.5% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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.
| Measure | Deerfield | Brookline | Sunderland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 5,158Highest |
531Lowest |
3,641 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -0.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+1.9%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
-0.6% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 51.8±3.6Highest 33% above U.S. |
45.1±2.7 16% above U.S. |
35.1±1.9Lowest 10% below U.S. |
| Kids under 18 | 13.2%±3.7 U.S.: 22% |
20%±6Highest U.S.: 22% |
9%±3.3Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Brookline and Deerfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 22.9%±4.2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
19.6%±4.2 U.S.: 17.2% |
16.4%±4.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Deerfield and Brookline are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.4% U.S.: 35.7% |
41.1%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
62.8%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 7.9%±3.4 U.S.: 6.4% |
3.2%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
25.5%±9.4Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $106,136±$14kHighest 31% above U.S. |
$80,833±$16k about the U.S. average |
$68,083±$3kLowest 16% below U.S. |
| Deerfield and Brookline are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $414,900±$37k 25% above U.S. |
$290,700±$37kLowest 13% below U.S. |
$458,100±$52kHighest 38% above U.S. |
| Sunderland and Deerfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,334±$318Lowest 6% below U.S. |
$1,732±$232Highest 23% above U.S. |
$1,672±$151 18% above U.S. |
| Brookline and Sunderland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,824Highest 87% above U.S. |
$5,000Lowest 60% above U.S. |
$5,611 80% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 26.1%±15.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
47.8%±94.7 U.S.: 51.1% |
72.1%±12.5Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Sunderland and Brookline are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
6.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
14.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 78.4% U.S.: 65.2% |
84.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
42%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1972Lowest 8 yrs older than U.S. |
1975 5 yrs older than U.S. |
1979Highest 1 yr older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 18 min 33% below U.S. |
28 minHighest 8% above U.S. |
17 minLowest 34% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 17.5%±6.2 U.S.: 15.1% |
20.6%±5.2Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
16.6%±4.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Brookline and Deerfield 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 | #156 of 282 in MA | — | #220 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Deerfield · Frontier | — | Sunderland |
| High school in town | Frontier Regional | — | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.1 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.