What stands out worked out from the figures below

Deerfield has the shortest commute (18 min average).

Reading has grown the fastest since 2010 (+3.2%).

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	Deerfield	Reading
People
Population	5,158Highest	699Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-0.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+3.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	51.8±3.6Highest 33% above U.S.	51.1±7.6Lowest 31% above U.S.
	Deerfield and Reading are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	13.2%±3.7Lowest U.S.: 22%	18.5%±4.2Highest U.S.: 22%
	Reading and Deerfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	22.9%±4.2Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	28.2%±3.3Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Reading and Deerfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	44.4%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	46%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	7.9%±3.4Highest U.S.: 6.4%	3.1%±2.5Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Deerfield and Reading are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$106,136±$14kHighest 31% above U.S.	$85,000±$19kLowest 5% above U.S.
	Deerfield and Reading are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$414,900±$37kHighest 25% above U.S.	$377,200±$72kLowest 13% above U.S.
	Deerfield and Reading are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,334±$318Highest 6% below U.S.	$1,100±$331Lowest 22% below U.S.
	Deerfield and Reading 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.	$5,754Lowest 84% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	26.1%±15.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	63.3%±31.7Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Reading and Deerfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	7.8%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	8.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	78.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	84.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1972Highest 8 yrs older than U.S.	1969Lowest 11 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	18 minLowest 33% below U.S.	33 minHighest 25% above U.S.
Work from home	17.5%±6.2Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	22.9%±10.6Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Reading 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	—
School district	Deerfield · Frontier	Mountain Views Unified Union School District #76
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

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.