What stands out worked out from the figures below

Jay has grown the fastest since 2010 (+5.8%).

Westford has the most expensive homes ($425k 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	Jay	Westford
People
Population	471Lowest	2,290Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+5.8%Highest VT: +2.8%	+1.6%Lowest VT: +2.8%
Median age	52.1±10.5Highest 21% above VT	44.1±8.6Lowest about the VT average
	Jay and Westford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	14.2%±7.3Lowest VT: 17.9%	16.9%±4.6Highest VT: 17.9%
	Westford and Jay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	15.5%±6.3Lowest VT: 21.4%	17.2%±3.2Highest VT: 21.4%
	Westford and Jay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	45.1%Lowest VT: 43.8%	52.3%Highest VT: 43.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	1.9%±2.5Lowest VT: 7%	9.5%±4.6Highest VT: 7%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$74,792±$25kLowest 8% below VT	$112,750±$12kHighest 39% above VT
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$234,200±$45kLowest 26% below VT	$424,500±$21kHighest 34% above VT
Rentmedian gross, monthly	—	$2,375±$1k 92% above VT
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,588Lowest 29% below VT	$6,282Highest 25% above VT
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	40%±100Highest VT: 48.4%	29.8%±31Lowest VT: 48.4%
	Jay and Westford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	8.7%Highest VT: 10.1%	2.5%Lowest VT: 10.1%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	97%Highest VT: 73.2%	86.1%Lowest VT: 73.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	2001Highest 25 yrs newer than VT	1982Lowest 6 yrs newer than VT
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	40 minHighest 69% above VT	33 minLowest 42% above VT
Work from home	27.3%±13.7Highest VT: 16.9%	19.1%±6.9Lowest VT: 16.9%
	Jay and Westford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	Jay/Westfield Joint Elementary School District	Essex Westford Educational Community Unified Union SD #51
High school in town	None in town	None in town
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	None yet	6 photos →

VT 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.