What stands out worked out from the figures below

Easthampton has the most people working from home (19%).

New Bedford has the most kids (23.9% under 18).

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	Easthampton	New Bedford
People
Population	16,086Lowest	100,998Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	—	+6.3% MA: +7.4%
Median age	46±2.6Highest 15% above MA	37±0.8Lowest 8% below MA
Kids under 18	15.5%±2.4Lowest MA: 19.4%	23.9%±1.2Highest MA: 19.4%
Age 65+	23.9%±3Highest MA: 17.9%	15.4%±0.9Lowest MA: 17.9%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	38%Highest MA: 47.3%	17%Lowest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	6.1%±1.9Highest MA: 7.9%	4.1%±0.5Lowest MA: 7.9%
	Easthampton and New Bedford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$71,673±$7kHighest 31% below MA	$56,981±$3kLowest 45% below MA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$371,500±$15kHighest 34% below MA	$357,300±$6kLowest 36% below MA
	Easthampton and New Bedford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,292±$70Highest 27% below MA	$1,137±$26Lowest 35% below MA
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,932Highest 18% below MA	$4,338Lowest 28% below MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	45.5%±10.7Lowest MA: 51.8%	52.6%±3.2Highest MA: 51.8%
	New Bedford and Easthampton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	8%Lowest MA: 10%	20.6%Highest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	58.4%Highest MA: 62.5%	40.3%Lowest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1966Highest 2 yrs newer than MA	1938Lowest 26 yrs older than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	22 minLowest 23% below MA	25 minHighest 15% below MA
Work from home	19%±3.2Highest MA: 18.6%	5.4%±0.9Lowest MA: 18.6%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#92 of 282 in MA	#263 of 282 in MA
School district	Easthampton	New Bedford · Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical
High school in town	Easthampton High	New Bedford High
Students per teacherat that high school	9.8Lowest	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.