What stands out worked out from the figures below

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

Washington has the most expensive homes ($660k 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	Washington
People
Population	21,148Highest	3,676Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+5.2% U.S.: +7.4%	—
Median age	43.7±2.3Lowest 12% above U.S.	49.9±5.5Highest 28% above U.S.
	Washington 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 U.S.: 22%	19%±4.7Highest U.S.: 22%
	Washington 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 U.S.: 17.2%	26.9%±5.3Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Washington 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 U.S.: 35.7%	53.7%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4.6%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	6.4%±3.3Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Washington 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 16% below U.S.	$101,549±$16kHighest 26% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$301,600±$20kLowest 9% below U.S.	$660,200±$130kHighest 98% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,109±$51Lowest 22% below U.S.	$1,204±$264Highest 15% below U.S.
	Washington and Gardner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,150Lowest 33% above U.S.	$4,709Highest 51% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	49.7%±8.6Highest U.S.: 51.1%	26.1%±24Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Gardner and Washington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	13.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	9%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	58.9%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	79%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1954Lowest 26 yrs older than U.S.	1971Highest 9 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	31 minHighest 16% above U.S.	26 minLowest 3% below U.S.
Work from home	13.3%±3.6Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	20.1%±9Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Washington 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	#17 of 149 in CT
School district	Gardner	Regional School District 12
High school in town	Gardner High	Shepaug Valley School
Students per teacherat that high school	13.5Highest	9.1Lowest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.