What stands out worked out from the figures below

Hudson has grown the fastest since 2010 (+5.4%).

Northampton has the shortest commute (21 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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Hudson	Northampton
People
Population	20,077Lowest	30,962Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+5.4%Highest MA: +7.4%	+3.6%Lowest MA: +7.4%
Median age	42.9±1.7Highest 7% above MA	41.3±2.2Lowest 3% above MA
	Hudson and Northampton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	19.3%±2.5Highest MA: 19.4%	16%±1.8Lowest MA: 19.4%
	Hudson and Northampton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	20.1%±2.3Lowest MA: 17.9%	20.4%±1.7Highest MA: 17.9%
	Northampton 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 MA: 47.3%	62.7%Highest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4%±1Lowest MA: 7.9%	14%±1.4Highest MA: 7.9%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$103,400±$13kHighest about the MA average	$80,288±$6kLowest 23% below MA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$496,800±$22kHighest 12% below MA	$429,700±$17kLowest 24% below MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,406±$82Lowest 20% below MA	$1,439±$75Highest 18% below MA
	Northampton and Hudson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$6,892Highest 15% above MA	$5,680Lowest 5% below MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	40.8%±8.7Lowest MA: 51.8%	57.6%±6.7Highest MA: 51.8%
Below poverty line	5.3%Lowest MA: 10%	13.4%Highest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	73.2%Highest MA: 62.5%	57.3%Lowest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1970Highest 6 yrs newer than MA	1955Lowest 9 yrs older than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	31 minHighest 6% above MA	21 minLowest 26% below MA
Work from home	19.6%±3.6Lowest MA: 18.6%	24.1%±3.4Highest MA: 18.6%
	Northampton and Hudson 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	#224 of 282 in MA	#159 of 282 in MA
School district	Hudson	Northampton · Northampton-Smith Vocational Agricultural
High school in town	Hudson High	Northampton High
Students per teacherat that high school	10.2Lowest	14.7Highest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.