Compare towns
Framingham vs Suffield vs Ashland
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Framingham has the most renters (45.2% rent).
Suffield has the most affordable homes ($408k median).
Ashland has the most people working from home (22.7%).
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 | Suffield | Ashland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 72,399Highest |
15,702Lowest |
18,873 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.9%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
— | +13.5%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 37.5±1Lowest 4% below U.S. |
44.5±1.7Highest 14% above U.S. |
42.1±1.4 8% above U.S. |
| Suffield and Ashland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 21.7%±1.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
16.2%±2Lowest U.S.: 22% |
18.4%±2.2 U.S.: 22% |
| Framingham and Ashland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 15.1%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
18.4%±2.2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
18.2%±2.2 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Suffield and Ashland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 48.7% U.S.: 35.7% |
40.4%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
60.7%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.5%±0.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.4%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.4%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $107,419±$6kLowest 33% above U.S. |
$119,472±$13k 48% above U.S. |
$127,539±$11kHighest 58% above U.S. |
| Ashland and Suffield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $627,300±$10kHighest 89% above U.S. |
$407,500±$26kLowest 22% above U.S. |
$611,700±$18k 84% above U.S. |
| Framingham and Ashland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,033±$57 44% above U.S. |
$1,424±$141Lowest about the U.S. average |
$2,452±$298Highest 74% above U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,884 121% above U.S. |
$6,456Lowest 107% above U.S. |
$7,444Highest 139% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 53.4%±5.6 U.S.: 51.1% |
51%±4.6Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
55.2%±14.2Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Ashland 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 U.S.: 12.5% |
4.6% U.S.: 12.5% |
3.5%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 54.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
86.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
75.3% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1966Lowest 14 yrs older than U.S. |
1979 1 yr older than U.S. |
1984Highest 4 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 min 15% above U.S. |
26 minLowest 3% below U.S. |
37 minHighest 39% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 19.6%±2.2 U.S.: 15.1% |
18.4%±4.1Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
22.7%±3.3Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Ashland 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 | #57 of 149 in CT | #42 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Framingham · South Middlesex Regional Vocational Technical | Suffield School District | Ashland |
| High school in town | Framingham High School | Suffield High School | Ashland High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.7 |
10.9Lowest |
14.0Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet |
U.S. 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.