What stands out worked out from the figures below

Douglas has the highest household income ($152k).

Northampton has the shortest commute (21 min average).

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	Douglas	Northampton
People
Population	9,207Lowest	30,962Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+6%Highest MA: +7.4%	+3.6%Lowest MA: +7.4%
Median age	44±2.6Highest 10% above MA	41.3±2.2Lowest 3% above MA
	Douglas and Northampton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	21.2%±3.8Highest MA: 19.4%	16%±1.8Lowest MA: 19.4%
	Douglas and Northampton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	15.4%±3.1Lowest MA: 17.9%	20.4%±1.7Highest MA: 17.9%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	41.7%Lowest MA: 47.3%	62.7%Highest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.4%±2.3Lowest MA: 7.9%	14%±1.4Highest MA: 7.9%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$152,267±$10kHighest 46% above MA	$80,288±$6kLowest 23% below MA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$470,600±$29kHighest 16% below MA	$429,700±$17kLowest 24% below MA
	Douglas and Northampton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,503±$697Highest 15% below MA	$1,439±$75Lowest 18% below MA
	Douglas and Northampton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$6,338Highest 6% above MA	$5,680Lowest 5% below MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	33.9%±17.4Lowest MA: 51.8%	57.6%±6.7Highest MA: 51.8%
	Northampton and Douglas are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	4.8%Lowest MA: 10%	13.4%Highest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	83.8%Highest MA: 62.5%	57.3%Lowest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1986Highest 22 yrs newer than MA	1955Lowest 9 yrs older than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	34 minHighest 16% above MA	21 minLowest 26% below MA
Work from home	20.9%±4.9Lowest MA: 18.6%	24.1%±3.4Highest MA: 18.6%
	Northampton and Douglas 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	#177 of 282 in MA	#159 of 282 in MA
School district	Douglas	Northampton · Northampton-Smith Vocational Agricultural
High school in town	Douglas High School	Northampton High
Students per teacherat that high school	7.2Lowest	14.7Highest
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.