What stands out worked out from the figures below

Hartford has the most renters (74.3% rent).

Upton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.1%).

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	Hartford	Upton
People
Population	121,127Highest	8,189Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+6.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	33.1±0.6Lowest 15% below U.S.	46.4±4.8Highest 19% above U.S.
Kids under 18	22.7%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 22%	23.2%±4.5Highest U.S.: 22%
	Upton and Hartford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	12.2%±0.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	20.7%±4.9Highest U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	19.4%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	53.5%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	9.2%±0.7Highest U.S.: 6.4%	2.4%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$46,411±$3kLowest 43% below U.S.	$155,508±$33kHighest 93% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$228,600±$8kLowest 31% below U.S.	$576,700±$41kHighest 73% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,269±$25Highest 10% below U.S.	$948±$599Lowest 33% below U.S.
	Hartford and Upton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,603Lowest 48% above U.S.	$8,376Highest 169% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	59.4%±3.4Highest U.S.: 51.1%	52.8%±31Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Hartford and Upton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	26.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	3.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	25.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	86.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1951Lowest 29 yrs older than U.S.	1981Highest 1 yr newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	23 minLowest 13% below U.S.	35 minHighest 34% above U.S.
Work from home	9.4%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	22.8%±5.3Highest U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#146 of 149 in CT	#46 of 282 in MA
School district	Connecticut Technical Education and Career System · Judicial Centers	Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical · Mendon-Upton
High school in town	Hartford Magnet Trinity College Academy	Blackstone Valley
Students per teacherat that high school	15.9Highest	11.2Lowest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.