Compare towns
Franklin Town vs Sutton vs Chelmsford
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Franklin Town has the most renters (21.8% rent).
Sutton has the most affordable homes ($523k median).
Chelmsford has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.7%).
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 | Franklin Town | Sutton | Chelmsford |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 33,154 |
9,452Lowest |
36,446Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.1% MA: +7.4% |
+4.4%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+7.7%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 41.3±1.9Lowest 3% above MA |
44.3±2.5Highest 11% above MA |
41.6±1.9 4% above MA |
| Sutton and Chelmsford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 21.1%±1.9 MA: 19.4% |
19.6%±3.3Lowest MA: 19.4% |
21.6%±1.8Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Chelmsford and Franklin Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 14.7%±1.5Lowest MA: 17.9% |
18.8%±3.2Highest MA: 17.9% |
18.1%±1.5 MA: 17.9% |
| Sutton and Chelmsford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 58.1%Highest MA: 47.3% |
52.8%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
52.8%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 7.3%±0.9Highest MA: 7.9% |
3.9%±1.8Lowest MA: 7.9% |
5.3%±1.1 MA: 7.9% |
| Franklin Town and Chelmsford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $145,773±$9k 40% above MA |
$147,125±$25kHighest 42% above MA |
$140,629±$8kLowest 35% above MA |
| Sutton and Franklin Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $611,700±$17kHighest 9% above MA |
$523,100±$47kLowest 7% below MA |
$593,700±$17k 6% above MA |
| Franklin Town and Chelmsford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,899±$156 8% above MA |
$1,190±$401Lowest 32% below MA |
$2,062±$151Highest 17% above MA |
| Chelmsford and Franklin Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $7,044 18% above MA |
$6,763Lowest 13% above MA |
$8,047Highest 34% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 48%±8.6 MA: 51.8% |
47.5%±24.4Lowest MA: 51.8% |
51.7%±10Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Chelmsford and Franklin Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 5.9%Highest MA: 10% |
5.8% MA: 10% |
4.7%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 78.2%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
89.7%Highest MA: 62.5% |
82.1% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1985Highest 21 yrs newer than MA |
1981 17 yrs newer than MA |
1967Lowest 3 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 33 minHighest 12% above MA |
30 min about the MA average |
28 minLowest 4% below MA |
| Work from home | 22.1%±2.5Lowest MA: 18.6% |
22.7%±4.1 MA: 18.6% |
22.8%±2.3Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Chelmsford and Sutton 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 | #64 of 282 in MA | #105 of 282 in MA | #79 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Franklin · Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical | Sutton | Chelmsford |
| High school in town | Franklin High | Sutton High School | Chelmsford High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
12.6Lowest |
14.0 |
| 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.