Compare towns
Middlefield vs Upton vs Columbia
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Middlefield has the shortest commute (25 min average).
Upton has the most kids (23.2% under 18).
Columbia has the most affordable homes ($362k median).
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 | Middlefield | Upton | Columbia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 4,243Lowest |
8,189Highest |
5,300 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +6.1% U.S.: +7.4% |
— |
| Median age | 51.6±1.9Highest 33% above U.S. |
46.4±4.8Lowest 19% above U.S. |
51.3±10.3 32% above U.S. |
| Middlefield and Columbia are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 13.9%±4.1 U.S.: 22% |
23.2%±4.5Highest U.S.: 22% |
13.7%±4.3Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Age 65+ | 25.5%±7.2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.7%±4.9Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
24.9%±5.4 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Middlefield and Columbia are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 41.5% U.S.: 35.7% |
53.5%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
34.6%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.7%±2.4Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.4%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.8%±2.5 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Middlefield and Columbia are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $99,837±$20kLowest 24% above U.S. |
$155,508±$33kHighest 93% above U.S. |
$127,000±$30k 57% above U.S. |
| Upton and Columbia are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $376,000±$27k 13% above U.S. |
$576,700±$41kHighest 73% above U.S. |
$361,500±$16kLowest 9% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $3,501Highest 148% above U.S. |
$948±$599Lowest 33% below U.S. |
$966±$304 32% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,853 120% above U.S. |
$8,376Highest 169% above U.S. |
$5,228Lowest 68% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 85.4%±52.1Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
52.8%±31 U.S.: 51.1% |
17.6%±16.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Middlefield and Upton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 8.1%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
3.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
6.1% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 86.5% U.S.: 65.2% |
86.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
83.3%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1961Lowest 19 yrs older than U.S. |
1981 1 yr newer than U.S. |
1984Highest 4 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 25 minLowest 6% below U.S. |
35 minHighest 34% above U.S. |
32 min 21% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 10.9%±4.1Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
22.8%±5.3Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
21.6%±6 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Upton and Columbia 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 | #65 of 149 in CT | #46 of 282 in MA | #114 of 149 in CT |
| School district | Regional School District 13 | Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical · Mendon-Upton | Columbia School District |
| High school in town | None in town | Blackstone Valley | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 11.2 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.