What stands out worked out from the figures below

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

Stoneham has the most expensive homes ($672k median).

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	Stoneham
People
Population	21,148Lowest	23,355Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+5.2%Lowest MA: +7.4%	+8.4%Highest MA: +7.4%
Median age	43.7±2.3Highest 9% above MA	42.2±2.2Lowest 6% above MA
	Gardner and Stoneham 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%	20.8%±2.5Highest MA: 19.4%
	Stoneham and Gardner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	19.6%±2.2Lowest MA: 17.9%	20.4%±2.2Highest MA: 17.9%
	Stoneham and Gardner 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%	55.9%Highest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4.6%±1.3Lowest MA: 7.9%	4.7%±1.4Highest MA: 7.9%
	Stoneham and Gardner 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	$113,964±$10kHighest 10% above MA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$301,600±$20kLowest 46% below MA	$671,900±$26kHighest 20% above MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,109±$51Lowest 37% below MA	$2,035±$142Highest 15% above MA
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,150Lowest 31% below MA	$6,523Highest 9% above MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	49.7%±8.6Highest MA: 51.8%	41.9%±8.2Lowest MA: 51.8%
	Gardner and Stoneham 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%	5.4%Lowest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	58.9%Lowest MA: 62.5%	71%Highest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1954Lowest 10 yrs older than MA	1964Highest same as MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	31 minHighest 5% above MA	28 minLowest 4% below MA
Work from home	13.3%±3.6Lowest MA: 18.6%	24.6%±3.6Highest MA: 18.6%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#273 of 282 in MA	#117 of 282 in MA
School district	Gardner	Stoneham
High school in town	Gardner High	Stoneham High
Students per teacherat that high school	13.5Highest	10.7Lowest
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.