What stands out worked out from the figures below

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

Grafton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.7%).

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	Grafton
People
Population	16,458Lowest	19,902Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+4%Lowest MA: +7.4%	+10.7%Highest MA: +7.4%
Median age	43.8±2.6Highest 9% above MA	41.1±1.6Lowest about the MA average
	Northbridge and Grafton 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%	22.5%±2.7Highest MA: 19.4%
	Grafton and Northbridge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	16.4%±2.1Highest MA: 17.9%	15.5%±2.3Lowest MA: 17.9%
	Northbridge and Grafton 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%	55.7%Highest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4.3%±1.3Lowest MA: 7.9%	5.6%±1.3Highest MA: 7.9%
	Grafton 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	$131,484±$11kHighest 26% above MA
	Grafton and Northbridge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$448,600±$15kLowest 20% below MA	$525,300±$37kHighest 7% below MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,207±$102Lowest 31% below MA	$1,504±$169Highest 15% below MA
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,821Lowest 20% below MA	$7,117Highest 19% above MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	51.2%±9.8Highest MA: 51.8%	45.1%±12.5Lowest MA: 51.8%
	Northbridge and Grafton 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%	6.3%Lowest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	70.5%Lowest MA: 62.5%	73.2%Highest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1973Lowest 9 yrs newer than MA	1977Highest 13 yrs newer than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	31 minLowest 7% above MA	33 minHighest 13% above MA
Work from home	16.2%±3.6Lowest MA: 18.6%	22.4%±2.6Highest MA: 18.6%
	Grafton and Northbridge 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	#226 of 282 in MA	#67 of 282 in MA
School district	Northbridge	Grafton
High school in town	Northbridge High	Grafton High School
Students per teacherat that high school	10.8Lowest	12.9Highest
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.