What stands out worked out from the figures below

Leicester has the youngest population (median age 48.8).

Waltham has the most people working from home (20.6%).

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	Leicester	Waltham
People
Population	1,026Highest	452Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-10% VT: +2.8%	—
Median age	48.8±3.8Lowest 13% above VT	60.8±7.3Highest 41% above VT
Kids under 18	14.9%±5.1Highest VT: 17.9%	12.8%±7.4Lowest VT: 17.9%
	Leicester and Waltham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	24.5%±6.7Lowest VT: 21.4%	45.4%±3.1Highest VT: 21.4%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	35.9%Lowest VT: 43.8%	39%Highest VT: 43.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	1.3%±1.6Lowest VT: 7%	3.1%±2.1Highest VT: 7%
	Waltham and Leicester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$70,417±$30kLowest 13% below VT	$97,500±$14kHighest 20% above VT
	Waltham and Leicester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$309,700±$107kLowest about the VT average	$329,700±$51kHighest 4% above VT
	Waltham and Leicester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,098±$300Highest 11% below VT	$1,096±$113Lowest 11% below VT
	Leicester and Waltham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,822Lowest 24% below VT	$5,714Highest 13% above VT
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	33.3%±40.4Highest VT: 48.4%	29.2%±58.6Lowest VT: 48.4%
	Leicester and Waltham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	11.8%Highest VT: 10.1%	5.3%Lowest VT: 10.1%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	85.5%Lowest VT: 73.2%	86.3%Highest VT: 73.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1981Lowest 5 yrs newer than VT	1986Highest 10 yrs newer than VT
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	28 minHighest 20% above VT	28 minLowest 18% above VT
Work from home	12.7%±5.9Lowest VT: 16.9%	20.6%±5.7Highest VT: 16.9%
	Waltham and Leicester 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

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.