What stands out worked out from the figures below

Gardner has grown the fastest since 2010 (+5.2%).

Wilbraham has the highest household income ($122k).

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	Wilbraham
People
Population	21,148Highest	14,572Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+5.2%Highest MA: +7.4%	+2.8%Lowest MA: +7.4%
Median age	43.7±2.3Lowest 9% above MA	44.3±2.7Highest 11% above MA
	Wilbraham 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%	23.2%±3.7Highest MA: 19.4%
	Wilbraham 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%	23%±3.4Highest MA: 17.9%
	Wilbraham 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%	51.9%Highest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4.6%±1.3Lowest MA: 7.9%	5.2%±1.8Highest MA: 7.9%
	Wilbraham 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	$122,051±$14kHighest 17% above MA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$301,600±$20kLowest 46% below MA	$416,000±$25kHighest 26% below MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,109±$51Lowest 37% below MA	$1,175±$241Highest 33% below MA
	Wilbraham 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	$6,658Highest 11% above MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	49.7%±8.6Lowest MA: 51.8%	53.1%±23.8Highest MA: 51.8%
	Wilbraham 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%	4.6%Lowest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	58.9%Lowest MA: 62.5%	88.8%Highest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1954Lowest 10 yrs older than MA	1966Highest 2 yrs newer than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	31 minHighest 5% above MA	27 minLowest 9% below MA
Work from home	13.3%±3.6Highest MA: 18.6%	12.9%±3.1Lowest MA: 18.6%
	Gardner and Wilbraham 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	#88 of 282 in MA
School district	Gardner	Hampden-Wilbraham
High school in town	Gardner High	Minnechaug Regional High
Students per teacherat that high school	13.5Lowest	14.2Highest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.