Compare towns
Gilsum vs Townsend vs Dalton
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Gilsum has the most people working from home (11.9%).
Townsend has grown the fastest since 2010 (+2.3%).
Dalton has the shortest commute (20 min average).
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 | Gilsum | Townsend | Dalton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 716Lowest |
9,100Highest |
916 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -7.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+2.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
-4.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 44.8±8.1Highest 15% above U.S. |
40.9±3.3Lowest 5% above U.S. |
44.5±12.9 14% above U.S. |
| Gilsum and Dalton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 12%±3.6Lowest U.S.: 22% |
21%±3.2Highest U.S.: 22% |
20.6%±11.3 U.S.: 22% |
| Townsend and Dalton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.3%±1.8Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
17.1%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
17.8%±1.3 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Gilsum and Dalton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 18.7%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
35.5%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
20.6% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.1%±2.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.1%±2.4Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.1%±4.3Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $80,417±$7kLowest about the U.S. average |
$121,528±$23kHighest 51% above U.S. |
$81,429±$36k about the U.S. average |
| Townsend and Dalton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $241,500±$32k 27% below U.S. |
$433,200±$22kHighest 30% above U.S. |
$191,400±$68kLowest 42% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,575±$894Highest 11% above U.S. |
$1,469±$313 4% above U.S. |
$900±$825Lowest 36% below U.S. |
| Gilsum and Townsend are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,579 79% above U.S. |
$6,031Highest 93% above U.S. |
$3,561Lowest 14% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 76.5%±55.4Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
50.6%±16.8Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
57.7%±83.7 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Gilsum and Dalton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 13.4% U.S.: 12.5% |
8.9%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
19.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 93.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
82%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
82.7% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1972Lowest 8 yrs older than U.S. |
1976 4 yrs older than U.S. |
1985Highest 5 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 min about the U.S. average |
37 minHighest 41% above U.S. |
20 minLowest 25% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 11.9%±8.7Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
10.5%±2.8 U.S.: 15.1% |
5.9%±2.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Gilsum and Townsend 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 | — | #136 of 282 in MA | — |
| School district | Monadnock Regional School District | North Middlesex | — |
| High school in town | None in town | North Middlesex Regional | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 13.1 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.