What stands out worked out from the figures below

Gardner has the most affordable homes ($302k median).

Northbridge has the highest household income ($111k).

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	Gardner	Northbridge
People
Population	21,148Highest	16,458Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+5.2%Highest MA: +7.4%	+4%Lowest MA: +7.4%
Median age	43.7±2.3Lowest 9% above MA	43.8±2.6Highest 9% above MA
	Northbridge and Gardner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	18.3%±2.3Lowest MA: 19.4%	21.1%±2.9Highest MA: 19.4%
	Northbridge and Gardner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	19.6%±2.2Highest MA: 17.9%	16.4%±2.1Lowest MA: 17.9%
	Gardner and Northbridge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	23.8%Lowest MA: 47.3%	36.9%Highest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4.6%±1.3Highest MA: 7.9%	4.3%±1.3Lowest MA: 7.9%
	Gardner and Northbridge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$67,518±$8kLowest 35% below MA	$111,319±$19kHighest 7% above MA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$301,600±$20kLowest 46% below MA	$448,600±$15kHighest 20% below MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,109±$51Lowest 37% below MA	$1,207±$102Highest 31% below MA
	Northbridge and Gardner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,150Lowest 31% below MA	$4,821Highest 20% below MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	49.7%±8.6Lowest MA: 51.8%	51.2%±9.8Highest MA: 51.8%
	Northbridge and Gardner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	13.7%Highest MA: 10%	7.9%Lowest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	58.9%Lowest MA: 62.5%	70.5%Highest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1954Lowest 10 yrs older than MA	1973Highest 9 yrs newer than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	31 minLowest 5% above MA	31 minHighest 7% above MA
Work from home	13.3%±3.6Lowest MA: 18.6%	16.2%±3.6Highest MA: 18.6%
	Northbridge and Gardner 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	#273 of 282 in MA	#226 of 282 in MA
School district	Gardner	Northbridge
High school in town	Gardner High	Northbridge High
Students per teacherat that high school	13.5Highest	10.8Lowest
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.