What stands out worked out from the figures below

Milton has the most people working from home (18.9%).

Belchertown has grown the fastest since 2010 (+4.8%).

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	Milton	Belchertown
People
Population	4,538Lowest	15,393Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-2.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+4.8%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	45.7±2.4Highest 17% above U.S.	43.9±1.6Lowest 13% above U.S.
	Milton and Belchertown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	18.4%±5Lowest U.S.: 22%	19.5%±2.9Highest U.S.: 22%
	Belchertown and Milton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	16.1%±3.4Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	21%±2.4Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Belchertown and Milton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	21.7%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	47.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.3%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	6.7%±1.8Highest U.S.: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$94,493±$27kLowest 17% above U.S.	$108,068±$15kHighest 34% above U.S.
	Belchertown and Milton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$318,400±$34kLowest 4% below U.S.	$371,300±$12kHighest 12% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,587±$318Highest 12% above U.S.	$1,292±$230Lowest 9% below U.S.
	Milton and Belchertown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,663Lowest 82% above U.S.	$5,810Highest 86% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	63.7%±24.9Highest U.S.: 51.1%	57.4%±21.8Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Milton and Belchertown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	8.1%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	8.5%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	86.3%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	87.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1980Lowest same as U.S.	1984Highest 4 yrs newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	33 minHighest 26% above U.S.	29 minLowest 9% above U.S.
Work from home	18.9%±6.7Highest U.S.: 15.1%	14%±3.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Milton and Belchertown 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	#116 of 120 in NH	#168 of 282 in MA
School district	Milton School District	Belchertown
High school in town	Nute High School	Belchertown High
Students per teacherat that high school	10.6Lowest	11.9Highest
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.