What stands out worked out from the figures below

Hardwick has the most affordable homes ($347k median).

Princeton has the most people working from home (29.5%).

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	Hardwick	Princeton
People
Population	2,684Lowest	3,529Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-10.8%Lowest MA: +7.4%	+2.4%Highest MA: +7.4%
Median age	45.3±9.8Lowest 13% above MA	46.1±7Highest 15% above MA
	Princeton and Hardwick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	20.5%±5.6Lowest MA: 19.4%	22.2%±4.6Highest MA: 19.4%
	Princeton and Hardwick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	22.7%±5Highest MA: 17.9%	20.9%±3.6Lowest MA: 17.9%
	Hardwick and Princeton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	30.9%Lowest MA: 47.3%	59.4%Highest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	6.2%±4.4Highest MA: 7.9%	1.9%±1.2Lowest MA: 7.9%
	Hardwick and Princeton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$75,000±$22kLowest 28% below MA	$158,750±$46kHighest 53% above MA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$346,700±$67kLowest 38% below MA	$520,500±$48kHighest 7% below MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,108±$119Highest 37% below MA	$897±$852Lowest 49% below MA
	Hardwick and Princeton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,400Lowest 27% below MA	$6,633Highest 11% above MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	59%±13.8Lowest MA: 51.8%	69.8%±46.7Highest MA: 51.8%
	Princeton and Hardwick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	11%Highest MA: 10%	4.2%Lowest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	68.2%Lowest MA: 62.5%	94.3%Highest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1968Lowest 4 yrs newer than MA	1975Highest 11 yrs newer than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	31 minLowest 7% above MA	37 minHighest 25% above MA
Work from home	8.7%±4.3Lowest MA: 18.6%	29.5%±6.8Highest MA: 18.6%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#163 of 282 in MA	#59 of 282 in MA
School district	Quabbin	Wachusett
High school in town	None in town	None in town
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.