What stands out worked out from the figures below

Ludlow has the most affordable homes ($335k median).

Pelham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.3%).

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	Ludlow	Pelham
People
Population	20,904Highest	14,449Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-0.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+10.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	44.3±1.8Highest 14% above U.S.	41.5±2.7Lowest 7% above U.S.
	Ludlow and Pelham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	16.4%±2.4Lowest U.S.: 22%	22%±2.7Highest U.S.: 22%
Age 65+	21.8%±2.5Highest U.S.: 17.2%	16.5%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	27%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	40%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.2%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	5.9%±1.3Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Pelham and Ludlow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$84,838±$7kLowest 5% above U.S.	$135,956±$19kHighest 68% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$335,300±$10kLowest about the U.S. average	$552,600±$27kHighest 66% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,223±$82Lowest 13% below U.S.	$1,425±$88Highest about the U.S. average
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,918Lowest 58% above U.S.	$8,634Highest 177% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	50.7%±9.5Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	67.3%±12.5Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Pelham and Ludlow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	6.8%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	3.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	77.5%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	86.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1964Lowest 16 yrs older than U.S.	1987Highest 7 yrs newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	20 minLowest 24% below U.S.	30 minHighest 12% above U.S.
Work from home	14%±3.4Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	22.8%±3.3Highest U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#154 of 282 in MA	#48 of 120 in NH
School district	Ludlow	Pelham School District
High school in town	Ludlow Senior High	Pelham High School
Students per teacherat that high school	11.1Highest	10.4Lowest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.