What stands out worked out from the figures below

Kensington has the most people working from home (19.2%).

Merrimac has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.1%).

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	Kensington	Merrimac
People
Population	2,009Lowest	6,748Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-1.4%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+6.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	43.3±5.9Lowest 11% above U.S.	49.4±6.8Highest 27% above U.S.
	Merrimac and Kensington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	17.1%±2.6Highest U.S.: 22%	16.5%±6.2Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Kensington and Merrimac are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	18.8%±2.9Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	26.7%±5.8Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Merrimac and Kensington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	48.5%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	41%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.4%±1.3Highest U.S.: 6.4%	2.1%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Kensington and Merrimac are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$165,083±$18kHighest 104% above U.S.	$123,054±$16kLowest 52% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$657,700±$47kHighest 98% above U.S.	$553,400±$38kLowest 66% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,813±$627Highest 28% above U.S.	$1,352±$325Lowest 4% below U.S.
	Kensington and Merrimac are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$9,637Highest 209% above U.S.	$7,399Lowest 137% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	24.4%±38.5Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	59.3%±29.1Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Merrimac and Kensington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	1.9%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	9.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	92.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	81.3%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1987Highest 7 yrs newer than U.S.	1982Lowest 2 yrs newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	29 minLowest 8% above U.S.	32 minHighest 21% above U.S.
Work from home	19.2%±3.9Highest U.S.: 15.1%	8.5%±3.4Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	—	#188 of 282 in MA
School district	Kensington School District	Pentucket
High school in town	None in town	None in town
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.