What stands out worked out from the figures below

Framingham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+5.9%).

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

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	Framingham	Dalton
People
Population	72,399Highest	6,256Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+5.9%Highest MA: +7.4%	-6.3%Lowest MA: +7.4%
Median age	37.5±1Lowest 6% below MA	49.7±5.8Highest 24% above MA
Kids under 18	21.7%±1.6Highest MA: 19.4%	20.6%±4.7Lowest MA: 19.4%
	Framingham and Dalton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	15.1%±1.1Lowest MA: 17.9%	27.9%±5.7Highest MA: 17.9%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	48.7%Highest MA: 47.3%	44.3%Lowest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	6.5%±0.8Highest MA: 7.9%	2.3%±1.6Lowest MA: 7.9%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$107,419±$6kHighest 3% above MA	$79,438±$8kLowest 24% below MA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$627,300±$10kHighest 12% above MA	$295,700±$26kLowest 47% below MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$2,033±$57Highest 15% above MA	$872±$70Lowest 51% below MA
Property taxmedian, yearly	$6,884Highest 15% above MA	$4,276Lowest 29% below MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	53.4%±5.6Highest MA: 51.8%	41.2%±19Lowest MA: 51.8%
	Framingham and Dalton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	10.4%Highest MA: 10%	7.4%Lowest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	54.8%Lowest MA: 62.5%	70.7%Highest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1966Highest 2 yrs newer than MA	1957Lowest 7 yrs older than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	30 minHighest 4% above MA	22 minLowest 24% below MA
Work from home	19.6%±2.2Highest MA: 18.6%	12.5%±7.1Lowest MA: 18.6%
	Framingham and Dalton 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	#229 of 282 in MA	#192 of 282 in MA
School district	Framingham · South Middlesex Regional Vocational Technical	Central Berkshire
High school in town	Framingham High School	Wahconah Regional High
Students per teacherat that high school	12.7Highest	10.9Lowest
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.