Compare towns
Framingham vs Maynard vs Stow
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Framingham has the most renters (45.2% rent).
Maynard has the most affordable homes ($527k median).
Stow has the most people working from home (36.6%).
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.
| Measure | Framingham | Maynard | Stow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 72,399Highest |
10,712 |
7,165Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.9%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+6.3% MA: +7.4% |
+8.9%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 37.5±1Lowest 6% below MA |
45.3±4.3Highest 13% above MA |
44.1±4.4 10% above MA |
| Maynard and Stow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 21.7%±1.6 MA: 19.4% |
16.9%±4.3Lowest MA: 19.4% |
22.3%±4.1Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Stow and Framingham 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% |
18.2%±3.3 MA: 17.9% |
19.1%±3.5Highest MA: 17.9% |
| Stow and Maynard are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 48.7%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
64.2% MA: 47.3% |
75.1%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.5%±0.8Highest MA: 7.9% |
3.5%±1.5Lowest MA: 7.9% |
3.7%±1.4 MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $107,419±$6kLowest 3% above MA |
$124,067±$16k 19% above MA |
$185,809±$22kHighest 79% above MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $627,300±$10k 12% above MA |
$527,400±$31kLowest 6% below MA |
$729,600±$39kHighest 30% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,033±$57Highest 15% above MA |
$1,800±$148 about the MA average |
$1,782±$126Lowest about the MA average |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,884Lowest 15% above MA |
$8,266 38% above MA |
$10,000+Highest at least 67% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 53.4%±5.6 MA: 51.8% |
44.9%±9.6Lowest MA: 51.8% |
59.7%±44.2Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Stow and Framingham 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% |
8.3% MA: 10% |
5.2%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 54.8%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
75% MA: 62.5% |
85.4%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1966 2 yrs newer than MA |
1963Lowest 1 yr older than MA |
1974Highest 10 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minLowest 4% above MA |
32 min 9% above MA |
36 minHighest 23% above MA |
| Work from home | 19.6%±2.2Lowest MA: 18.6% |
22.9%±7.7 MA: 18.6% |
36.6%±6.2Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Stow and Maynard 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 | #166 of 282 in MA | #44 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Framingham · South Middlesex Regional Vocational Technical | Maynard | Nashoba |
| High school in town | Framingham High School | Maynard High | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.7Highest |
9.7Lowest |
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| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.