What stands out worked out from the figures below

Ludlow has the shortest commute (20 min average).

Wolcott has the highest household income ($111k).

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	Wolcott
People
Population	20,904Highest	16,279Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-0.5% U.S.: +7.4%	—
Median age	44.3±1.8Lowest 14% above U.S.	44.4±2.5Highest 14% above U.S.
	Wolcott and Ludlow 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%	19.4%±3.1Highest U.S.: 22%
	Wolcott and Ludlow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	21.8%±2.5Highest U.S.: 17.2%	18.8%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Ludlow and Wolcott are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	27%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	37%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.2%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	5.3%±1.9Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Wolcott 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.	$110,850±$10kHighest 37% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$335,300±$10kHighest about the U.S. average	$326,200±$17kLowest about the U.S. average
	Ludlow and Wolcott are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,223±$82Lowest 13% below U.S.	$1,464±$913Highest 4% above U.S.
	Wolcott and Ludlow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,918Lowest 58% above U.S.	$5,799Highest 86% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	50.7%±9.5Highest U.S.: 51.1%	49.8%±24.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Ludlow and Wolcott 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%	1.8%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	77.5%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	88.4%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1964Lowest 16 yrs older than U.S.	1976Highest 4 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	20 minLowest 24% below U.S.	30 minHighest 13% above U.S.
Work from home	14%±3.4Highest U.S.: 15.1%	11.2%±3.1Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Ludlow and Wolcott 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	#154 of 282 in MA	#76 of 149 in CT
School district	Ludlow	Wolcott School District
High school in town	Ludlow Senior High	Wolcott High School
Students per teacherat that high school	11.1Highest	10.1Lowest
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.