What stands out worked out from the figures below

Monterey has the most kids (11.2% under 18).

Alford has the most expensive homes ($794k 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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Monterey	Alford
People
Population	954Highest	433Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+13.9% MA: +7.4%	—
Median age	62.3±14Lowest 56% above MA	63.1±2.4Highest 58% above MA
	Alford and Monterey are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	11.2%±4.2Highest MA: 19.4%	5.1%±6.2Lowest MA: 19.4%
	Monterey and Alford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	43.5%±13.2Highest MA: 17.9%	43%±4.4Lowest MA: 17.9%
	Monterey and Alford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	64.4%Highest MA: 47.3%	63.7%Lowest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4.3%±4.9Highest MA: 7.9%	3%±3.1Lowest MA: 7.9%
	Monterey and Alford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$152,353±$89kHighest 47% above MA	$121,042±$11kLowest 16% above MA
	Monterey and Alford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$603,200±$57kLowest 7% above MA	$794,400±$144kHighest 41% above MA
	Alford and Monterey are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,762±$128Highest about the MA average	$1,750±$1kLowest about the MA average
	Monterey and Alford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$2,858Lowest 52% below MA	$3,913Highest 35% below MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	43.3%±85.1Highest MA: 51.8%	0%±100Lowest MA: 51.8%
	Monterey and Alford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	4.1%Highest MA: 10%	2.3%Lowest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	87.4%Lowest MA: 62.5%	89.3%Highest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1973Lowest 9 yrs newer than MA	1975Highest 11 yrs newer than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	23 minLowest 22% below MA	26 minHighest 12% below MA
Work from home	23.6%±16.3Highest MA: 18.6%	22.2%±6.4Lowest MA: 18.6%
	Monterey and Alford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.