What stands out worked out from the figures below

Marlborough has the most renters (44% rent).

Windham has the most homeowners (84.6%).

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	Marlborough	Windham
People
Population	41,647Highest	19,188Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+8.6%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	+8.4%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	37.5±1.3Lowest 4% below U.S.	41.8±1.8Highest 7% above U.S.
Kids under 18	20.8%±2Highest U.S.: 22%	19.2%±2.7Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Marlborough and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	14.9%±1.5Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	15.9%±2.1Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Windham and Marlborough are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	40.5%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	44.2%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4.2%±1Highest U.S.: 6.4%	3.9%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Marlborough and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$91,968±$9kLowest 14% above U.S.	$107,934±$14kHighest 34% above U.S.
	Windham and Marlborough are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$513,100±$28kHighest 54% above U.S.	$388,900±$22kLowest 17% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,871±$123Highest 32% above U.S.	$1,232±$332Lowest 13% below U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,747Highest 84% above U.S.	$3,938Lowest 26% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	58.9%±6.5Highest U.S.: 51.1%	32.7%±14.7Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
Below poverty line	9.6%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	3.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	56%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	84.6%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1974Lowest 6 yrs older than U.S.	1985Highest 5 yrs newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	30 minHighest 13% above U.S.	26 minLowest about the U.S. average
Work from home	16.2%±2.4Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	19%±4.1Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Windham and Marlborough 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	#215 of 282 in MA	#95 of 133 in ME
School district	Assabet Valley Regional Vocational Technical · Marlborough	RSU 14
High school in town	Assabet Valley Vocational High School	Windham High School
Students per teacherat that high school	10.1Lowest	12.1Highest
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.