What stands out worked out from the figures below

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

Hadley has the shortest commute (20 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	Framingham	Hadley
People
Population	72,399Highest	5,306Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+5.9%Highest MA: +7.4%	+1.4%Lowest MA: +7.4%
Median age	37.5±1Lowest 6% below MA	45.8±7.1Highest 15% above MA
Kids under 18	21.7%±1.6Highest MA: 19.4%	16.2%±4.6Lowest MA: 19.4%
	Framingham and Hadley 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%	24.2%±4.8Highest MA: 17.9%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	48.7%Lowest MA: 47.3%	61.3%Highest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	6.5%±0.8Lowest MA: 7.9%	10.9%±5.7Highest MA: 7.9%
	Hadley and Framingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$107,419±$6kLowest 3% above MA	$119,259±$12kHighest 15% above MA
	Hadley and Framingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$627,300±$10kHighest 12% above MA	$511,000±$43kLowest 9% below MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$2,033±$57Highest 15% above MA	$1,402±$132Lowest 20% below MA
Property taxmedian, yearly	$6,884Highest 15% above MA	$5,271Lowest 12% below MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	53.4%±5.6Highest MA: 51.8%	38.6%±18.9Lowest MA: 51.8%
	Framingham and Hadley 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%	6.4%Lowest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	54.8%Lowest MA: 62.5%	73.4%Highest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1966Lowest 2 yrs newer than MA	1971Highest 7 yrs newer than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	30 minHighest 4% above MA	20 minLowest 33% below MA
Work from home	19.6%±2.2Lowest MA: 18.6%	20.1%±7.4Highest MA: 18.6%
	Hadley and Framingham 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	#116 of 282 in MA
School district	Framingham · South Middlesex Regional Vocational Technical	Hadley
High school in town	Framingham High School	Hopkins Academy
Students per teacherat that high school	12.7Highest	7.3Lowest
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.