Compare towns
Griswold vs Northbridge vs Preston
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Griswold has the most affordable homes ($276k median).
Northbridge has the most people working from home (16.2%).
Preston has the shortest commute (22 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 | Griswold | Northbridge | Preston |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 11,530 |
16,458Highest |
4,821Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +4% U.S.: +7.4% |
— |
| Median age | 48.1±3.9Highest 24% above U.S. |
43.8±2.6Lowest 13% above U.S. |
46.2±7 19% above U.S. |
| Griswold and Preston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 18.5%±3.7Lowest U.S.: 22% |
21.1%±2.9Highest U.S.: 22% |
18.7%±4.4 U.S.: 22% |
| Northbridge and Preston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 17.8%±3.5 U.S.: 17.2% |
16.4%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
23%±4.7Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Preston and Griswold are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 19.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
36.9%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
28.5% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.8%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.3%±1.3 U.S.: 6.4% |
4.9%±2.4Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Preston and Northbridge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $78,719±$11kLowest about the U.S. average |
$111,319±$19k 38% above U.S. |
$116,648±$27kHighest 44% above U.S. |
| Preston and Northbridge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $275,900±$42kLowest 17% below U.S. |
$448,600±$15kHighest 35% above U.S. |
$361,900±$13k 9% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,177±$65Lowest 17% below U.S. |
$1,207±$102 15% below U.S. |
$1,433±$1kHighest about the U.S. average |
| Preston and Northbridge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,628Lowest 48% above U.S. |
$4,821Highest 55% above U.S. |
$4,749 52% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 57.5%±15.5Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
51.2%±9.8Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
52.6%±12.5 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Griswold and Preston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.6% U.S.: 12.5% |
7.9%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
2.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 73.3% U.S.: 65.2% |
70.5%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
91.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977Highest 3 yrs older than U.S. |
1973 7 yrs older than U.S. |
1970Lowest 10 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 31 minHighest 17% above U.S. |
31 minHighest 17% above U.S. |
22 minLowest 16% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 9%±3.6Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
16.2%±3.6Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
10.3%±6 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Northbridge and Preston 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 | #118 of 149 in CT | #226 of 282 in MA | #93 of 149 in CT |
| School district | Griswold School District | Northbridge | Preston School District |
| High school in town | Griswold High School | Northbridge High | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.5Highest |
10.8Lowest |
— |
| 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.