Compare towns
Grafton vs Townsend vs Waltham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Grafton has the shortest commute (24 min average).
Townsend has the most kids (21% under 18).
Waltham has the most people working from home (20.6%).
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 | Grafton | Townsend | Waltham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 666 |
9,100Highest |
452Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+2.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
— |
| Median age | 59.2±4.4 52% above U.S. |
40.9±3.3Lowest 5% above U.S. |
60.8±7.3Highest 56% above U.S. |
| Waltham and Grafton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 5.9%±3.7Lowest U.S.: 22% |
21%±3.2Highest U.S.: 22% |
12.8%±7.4 U.S.: 22% |
| Townsend and Waltham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 34.2%±2 U.S.: 17.2% |
17.1%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
45.4%±3.1Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 48.4%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
35.5%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
39% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 7.1%±5Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.1%±2.4 U.S.: 6.4% |
3.1%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Grafton and Townsend are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $76,111±$7kLowest 6% below U.S. |
$121,528±$23kHighest 51% above U.S. |
$97,500±$14k 21% above U.S. |
| Townsend and Waltham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $343,200±$85k 3% above U.S. |
$433,200±$22kHighest 30% above U.S. |
$329,700±$51kLowest about the U.S. average |
| Townsend and Grafton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,288±$174 9% below U.S. |
$1,469±$313Highest 4% above U.S. |
$1,096±$113Lowest 22% below U.S. |
| Townsend and Grafton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,843Lowest 55% above U.S. |
$6,031Highest 93% above U.S. |
$5,714 83% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 53.8%±69.4Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
50.6%±16.8 U.S.: 51.1% |
29.2%±58.6Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Grafton and Townsend are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 4.5%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
8.9%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
5.3% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 89.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
82%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
86.3% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1978 2 yrs older than U.S. |
1976Lowest 4 yrs older than U.S. |
1986Highest 6 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minLowest 8% below U.S. |
37 minHighest 41% above U.S. |
28 min 5% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 15.8%±5.4 U.S.: 15.1% |
10.5%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
20.6%±5.7Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Waltham and Grafton 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 | Athens Grafton 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.