Compare towns
Mendon vs Middleton vs Rochester
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Mendon has the most people working from home (15.1%).
Middleton has the highest household income ($167k).
Rochester has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.3%).
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.
| Measure | Mendon | Middleton | Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 6,325 |
9,816Highest |
5,837Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.7%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+8.8% MA: +7.4% |
+9.3%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 44.1±4.4 10% above MA |
43.1±2Lowest 8% above MA |
46.5±6Highest 16% above MA |
| Rochester and Mendon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 22.8%±6.2Highest MA: 19.4% |
17.2%±3Lowest MA: 19.4% |
20.1%±4.6 MA: 19.4% |
| Mendon and Rochester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 14.7%±3.4Lowest MA: 17.9% |
18.1%±2.9 MA: 17.9% |
20.1%±4.2Highest MA: 17.9% |
| Rochester and Middleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 46.9%Highest MA: 47.3% |
41.7%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
43.5% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.8%±2.5Highest MA: 7.9% |
3.9%±1.4Lowest MA: 7.9% |
4%±1.5 MA: 7.9% |
| Mendon and Rochester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $132,256±$33k 27% above MA |
$167,402±$29kHighest 61% above MA |
$120,273±$12kLowest 16% above MA |
| Middleton and Mendon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $616,000±$37k 10% above MA |
$742,700±$48kHighest 32% above MA |
$599,100±$31kLowest 7% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,840±$196Highest 4% above MA |
$1,407±$284Lowest 20% below MA |
$1,432±$743 19% below MA |
| Mendon and Rochester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $7,213 20% above MA |
$8,785Highest 47% above MA |
$6,530Lowest 9% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 78.7%±26Highest MA: 51.8% |
25.7%±25.3Lowest MA: 51.8% |
39.1%±10.2 MA: 51.8% |
| Below poverty line | 7.1%Highest MA: 10% |
3.4%Lowest MA: 10% |
5.4% MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 86.9%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
92.7%Highest MA: 62.5% |
88.1% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1985 21 yrs newer than MA |
1986Highest 22 yrs newer than MA |
1984Lowest 20 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 min 4% above MA |
30 minLowest 3% above MA |
37 minHighest 25% above MA |
| Work from home | 15.1%±5.7Highest MA: 18.6% |
12.5%±3.4 MA: 18.6% |
8.3%±3.7Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Mendon and Middleton 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 | #210 of 282 in MA | #71 of 282 in MA | #104 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Mendon-Upton | Middleton | Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical · Rochester |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 9.1 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | None yet | None yet |
MA 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.