What stands out worked out from the figures below

Northbridge has the most affordable homes ($449k median).

Acton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.6%).

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	Northbridge	Acton
People
Population	16,458Lowest	24,155Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+4%Lowest MA: +7.4%	+9.6%Highest MA: +7.4%
Median age	43.8±2.6Lowest 9% above MA	44.5±0.8Highest 11% above MA
	Acton and Northbridge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	21.1%±2.9Lowest MA: 19.4%	23.2%±2.5Highest MA: 19.4%
	Acton and Northbridge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	16.4%±2.1Lowest MA: 17.9%	17.6%±1.7Highest MA: 17.9%
	Acton and Northbridge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	36.9%Lowest MA: 47.3%	79.5%Highest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4.3%±1.3Lowest MA: 7.9%	4.9%±1.2Highest MA: 7.9%
	Acton and Northbridge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$111,319±$19kLowest 7% above MA	$158,230±$14kHighest 52% above MA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$448,600±$15kLowest 20% below MA	$807,300±$20kHighest 44% above MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,207±$102Lowest 31% below MA	$1,986±$155Highest 13% above MA
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,821Lowest 20% below MA	$10,000+Highest at least 67% above MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	51.2%±9.8Highest MA: 51.8%	47.7%±11.3Lowest MA: 51.8%
	Northbridge and Acton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	7.9%Highest MA: 10%	3.4%Lowest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	70.5%Lowest MA: 62.5%	74.9%Highest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1973Lowest 9 yrs newer than MA	1974Highest 10 yrs newer than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	31 minLowest 7% above MA	35 minHighest 19% above MA
Work from home	16.2%±3.6Lowest MA: 18.6%	35.9%±4.6Highest MA: 18.6%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#226 of 282 in MA	#13 of 282 in MA
School district	Northbridge	Acton-Boxborough
High school in town	Northbridge High	Acton-Boxborough Regional High
Students per teacherat that high school	10.8Lowest	13.5Highest
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.