What stands out worked out from the figures below

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

Topsham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.8%).

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.

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

Measure	Hudson	Topsham
People
Population	20,077Highest	9,706Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+5.4%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+8.8%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	42.9±1.7Lowest 10% above U.S.	44.7±4Highest 15% above U.S.
	Topsham 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%	19.9%±3.6Highest U.S.: 22%
	Topsham 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%	24.4%±3.2Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Topsham 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%	50%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4%±1Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	4.9%±1.8Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Topsham 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±$13kHighest 28% above U.S.	$91,028±$10kLowest 13% above U.S.
	Hudson and Topsham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$496,800±$22kHighest 49% above U.S.	$360,800±$20kLowest 8% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,406±$82Highest about the U.S. average	$1,355±$642Lowest 4% below U.S.
	Hudson and Topsham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$6,892Highest 121% above U.S.	$4,259Lowest 37% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	40.8%±8.7Highest U.S.: 51.1%	40.3%±12.9Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Hudson and Topsham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	5.3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	6.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	73.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	78.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1970Lowest 10 yrs older than U.S.	1980Highest same as U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	31 minHighest 17% above U.S.	24 minLowest 11% below U.S.
Work from home	19.6%±3.6Highest U.S.: 15.1%	17.2%±4.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Hudson and Topsham 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	#66 of 133 in ME
School district	Hudson	RSU 75/MSAD 75
High school in town	Hudson High	Mt Ararat High School
Students per teacherat that high school	10.2Lowest	12.2Highest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.