What stands out worked out from the figures below

Jackson has the most expensive homes ($232k median).

Springfield has the most affordable homes ($123k median).

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	Jackson	Springfield
People
Population	567Highest	310Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+11.3% ME: +2.6%	—
Median age	37.7±5.8Lowest 16% below ME	52.4±7Highest 17% above ME
Kids under 18	17.1%±4.3Lowest ME: 18.1%	18.1%±5.6Highest ME: 18.1%
	Springfield and Jackson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	17.5%±4.7Lowest ME: 22.4%	21.6%±5.4Highest ME: 22.4%
	Springfield and Jackson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	41.9%Highest ME: 36.2%	17.3%Lowest ME: 36.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	1.4%±1.3Highest ME: 5.8%	0.6%±3.7Lowest ME: 5.8%
	Jackson and Springfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$75,167±$19kHighest about the ME average	$60,833±$23kLowest 19% below ME
	Jackson and Springfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$231,500±$16kHighest 22% below ME	$122,500±$28kLowest 59% below ME
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$629±$12 45% below ME	—
Property taxmedian, yearly	$2,651Highest 13% below ME	$1,067Lowest 65% below ME
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	6.3%±60.5 ME: 48.4%	—
Below poverty line	13.8%Highest ME: 10.7%	5.5%Lowest ME: 10.7%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	78.6%Lowest ME: 74.3%	96.2%Highest ME: 74.3%
Typical home builtmedian year	1993Highest 16 yrs newer than ME	1987Lowest 10 yrs newer than ME
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	35 minHighest 41% above ME	30 minLowest 21% above ME
Work from home	15.3%±6.5Highest ME: 15.9%	9.6%±5.2Lowest ME: 15.9%
	Jackson and Springfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	None yet	None yet

ME 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.