Compare towns
Hardwick vs Salisbury vs New Braintree
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Hardwick has the most affordable homes ($347k median).
Salisbury has the most people working from home (28%).
New Braintree has the most homeowners (89.8%).
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 | Hardwick | Salisbury | New Braintree |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 2,684 |
4,224Highest |
973Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -10.8%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
— | -0.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 45.3±9.8 16% above U.S. |
44.2±9.9Lowest 14% above U.S. |
47.8±4.6Highest 23% above U.S. |
| New Braintree and Hardwick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 20.5%±5.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
19.2%±6.9Lowest U.S.: 22% |
20%±4.4 U.S.: 22% |
| Hardwick and New Braintree are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 22.7%±5Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
28.1%±5.1Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
25.6%±2.5 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Salisbury and New Braintree 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 U.S.: 35.7% |
58.8%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
41.4% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.2%±4.4Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.9%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.9%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Hardwick and Salisbury 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 7% below U.S. |
$124,256±$26kHighest 54% above U.S. |
$99,500±$8k 23% above U.S. |
| Salisbury and New Braintree are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $346,700±$67kLowest 4% above U.S. |
$763,700±$121kHighest 130% above U.S. |
$408,800±$27k 23% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,108±$119Lowest 22% below U.S. |
$1,846±$736Highest 31% above U.S. |
$1,484±$316 5% above U.S. |
| Salisbury and New Braintree are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,400Lowest 41% above U.S. |
$5,125 64% above U.S. |
$5,508Highest 77% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 59%±13.8Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
23.2%±11.8Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
51.4%±51.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Hardwick and New Braintree are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 11%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
4.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
7.2% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 68.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
68.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
89.8%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1968 12 yrs older than U.S. |
1967Lowest 13 yrs older than U.S. |
1987Highest 7 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 31 min 18% above U.S. |
20 minLowest 25% below U.S. |
37 minHighest 39% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 8.7%±4.3 U.S.: 15.1% |
28%±8Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
7.4%±3.4Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #163 of 282 in MA | #19 of 149 in CT | — |
| School district | Quabbin | Salisbury School District | Quabbin |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | None in town |
| 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.