What stands out worked out from the figures below

Montague has the most affordable homes ($282k median).

Sutton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+4.4%).

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	Montague	Sutton
People
Population	8,482Lowest	9,452Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+1.7%Lowest MA: +7.4%	+4.4%Highest MA: +7.4%
Median age	44.3±3.1 11% above MA	44.3±2.5 11% above MA
Kids under 18	19%±2.8Lowest MA: 19.4%	19.6%±3.3Highest MA: 19.4%
	Sutton and Montague are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	23.5%±3.2Highest MA: 17.9%	18.8%±3.2Lowest MA: 17.9%
	Montague and Sutton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	37.5%Lowest MA: 47.3%	52.8%Highest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.7%±1.3Lowest MA: 7.9%	3.9%±1.8Highest MA: 7.9%
	Sutton and Montague are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$70,510±$12kLowest 32% below MA	$147,125±$25kHighest 42% above MA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$282,100±$17kLowest 50% below MA	$523,100±$47kHighest 7% below MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,207±$115Highest 31% below MA	$1,190±$401Lowest 32% below MA
	Montague and Sutton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,922Lowest 35% below MA	$6,763Highest 13% above MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	64.6%±8.6Highest MA: 51.8%	47.5%±24.4Lowest MA: 51.8%
	Montague and Sutton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	11.5%Highest MA: 10%	5.8%Lowest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	62.7%Lowest MA: 62.5%	89.7%Highest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1951Lowest 13 yrs older than MA	1981Highest 17 yrs newer than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	21 minLowest 28% below MA	30 minHighest about the MA average
Work from home	14.9%±4.2Lowest MA: 18.6%	22.7%±4.1Highest MA: 18.6%
	Sutton and Montague 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	#265 of 282 in MA	#105 of 282 in MA
School district	Franklin County Regional Vocational Technical · Gill-Montague	Sutton
High school in town	Franklin County Technical	Sutton High School
Students per teacherat that high school	11.7Lowest	12.6Highest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.