What stands out worked out from the figures below

Hudson has the most affordable homes ($497k median).

Bedford has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10%).

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	Hudson	Bedford
People
Population	20,077Lowest	23,746Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+5.4%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+10%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	42.9±1.7Lowest 10% above U.S.	45±2.2Highest 16% above U.S.
	Bedford and Hudson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	19.3%±2.5Lowest U.S.: 22%	22.7%±2.5Highest U.S.: 22%
	Bedford and Hudson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	20.1%±2.3Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	20.5%±2.1Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Bedford and Hudson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	46.1%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	63%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4%±1Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	4.7%±2.1Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Bedford and Hudson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$103,400±$13kLowest 28% above U.S.	$167,418±$12kHighest 107% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$496,800±$22kLowest 49% above U.S.	$612,100±$26kHighest 84% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,406±$82Lowest about the U.S. average	$2,099±$274Highest 49% above U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$6,892Lowest 121% above U.S.	$9,803Highest 214% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	40.8%±8.7Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	59.4%±15.3Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Bedford and Hudson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	5.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	2.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	73.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	82.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1970Lowest 10 yrs older than U.S.	1990Highest 10 yrs newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	31 minHighest 17% above U.S.	25 minLowest 4% below U.S.
Work from home	19.6%±3.6Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	27%±3.4Highest U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#224 of 282 in MA	#7 of 120 in NH
School district	Hudson	Bedford School District
High school in town	Hudson High	Bedford High School
Students per teacherat that high school	10.2Lowest	13.5Highest
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.