What stands out worked out from the figures below

Madison has the most people working from home (30.2%).

Upton has the most kids (23.2% under 18).

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	Madison	Upton
People
Population	17,616Highest	8,189Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	—	+6.1% U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	51.9±1.9Highest 33% above U.S.	46.4±4.8Lowest 19% above U.S.
	Madison and Upton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	18.1%±2.2Lowest U.S.: 22%	23.2%±4.5Highest U.S.: 22%
	Upton and Madison are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	25.2%±2.4Highest U.S.: 17.2%	20.7%±4.9Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Madison and Upton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	72.4%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	53.5%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.9%±1.5Highest U.S.: 6.4%	2.4%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$167,442±$16kHighest 107% above U.S.	$155,508±$33kLowest 93% above U.S.
	Madison and Upton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$583,900±$30kHighest 76% above U.S.	$576,700±$41kLowest 73% above U.S.
	Madison and Upton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$2,025±$741Highest 43% above U.S.	$948±$599Lowest 33% below U.S.
	Madison and Upton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$8,843Highest 184% above U.S.	$8,376Lowest 169% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	44%±12.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	52.8%±31Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Upton and Madison are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	3.6%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	3.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	90.4%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	86.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1976Lowest 4 yrs older than U.S.	1981Highest 1 yr newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	30 minLowest 13% above U.S.	35 minHighest 34% above U.S.
Work from home	30.2%±5.3Highest U.S.: 15.1%	22.8%±5.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Madison and Upton 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	#7 of 149 in CT	#46 of 282 in MA
School district	Madison School District	Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical · Mendon-Upton
High school in town	Daniel Hand High School	Blackstone Valley
Students per teacherat that high school	9.8Lowest	11.2Highest
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.