Compare towns
Leicester vs Sutton vs Townsend vs Pawlet
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Leicester has the shortest commute (28 min average).
Sutton has the most affordable homes ($231k median).
Townsend has grown the fastest since 2010 (+2.3%).
Pawlet has the most people working from home (20.4%).
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.
| Measure | Leicester | Sutton | Townsend | Pawlet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,026 |
790Lowest |
9,100Highest |
1,480 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -10% U.S.: +7.4% |
-11.3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+2.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
-3.6% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 48.8±3.8Highest 25% above U.S. |
46.6±5.7 20% above U.S. |
40.9±3.3Lowest 5% above U.S. |
47.9±7.5 23% above U.S. |
| Leicester and Pawlet are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 14.9%±5.1Lowest U.S.: 22% |
17.3%±3.4 U.S.: 22% |
21%±3.2Highest U.S.: 22% |
20.3%±5.2 U.S.: 22% |
| Townsend and Pawlet are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 24.5%±6.7 U.S.: 17.2% |
21.6%±2.7 U.S.: 17.2% |
17.1%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
27.3%±2.6Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Pawlet and Leicester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 35.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
32.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
35.5% U.S.: 35.7% |
37.5%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.3%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.3%±1.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
5.1%±2.4Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.4%±2.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Townsend and Pawlet are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $70,417±$30k 13% below U.S. |
$71,250±$18k 12% below U.S. |
$121,528±$23kHighest 51% above U.S. |
$62,273±$14kLowest 23% below U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $309,700±$107k 7% below U.S. |
$231,100±$41kLowest 31% below U.S. |
$433,200±$22kHighest 30% above U.S. |
$266,200±$44k 20% below U.S. |
| Townsend and Leicester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,098±$300Lowest 22% below U.S. |
— | $1,469±$313Highest 4% above U.S. |
$1,153±$215 18% below U.S. |
| Townsend and Pawlet are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,822Lowest 23% above U.S. |
$3,975 27% above U.S. |
$6,031Highest 93% above U.S. |
$3,924 26% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 33.3%±40.4Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
37.8%±31.1 U.S.: 51.1% |
50.6%±16.8Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
42.6%±21.3 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Townsend and Pawlet are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 11.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
12.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
8.9%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
10% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 85.5% U.S.: 65.2% |
85% U.S.: 65.2% |
82%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
87.8%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1981Highest 1 yr newer than U.S. |
1979 1 yr older than U.S. |
1976 4 yrs older than U.S. |
1964Lowest 16 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minLowest 7% above U.S. |
30 min 12% above U.S. |
37 minHighest 41% above U.S. |
33 min 25% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 12.7%±5.9 U.S.: 15.1% |
11.6%±5.3 U.S.: 15.1% |
10.5%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
20.4%±8.3Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Pawlet and Leicester 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 | — | — | #136 of 282 in MA | — |
| School district | — | Kingdom East Unified Union School District #64 | North Middlesex | Mettawee School District #84 |
| High school in town | — | None in town | North Middlesex Regional | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 13.1 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | 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.