Compare towns
Orange vs Castleton vs Athol vs Winchendon
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Orange has the most renters (30% rent).
Castleton has the shortest commute (19 min average).
Athol has grown the fastest since 2010 (+3.1%).
Winchendon has the most expensive homes ($324k 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.
| Measure | Orange | Castleton | Athol | Winchendon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 7,573 |
4,453Lowest |
12,011Highest |
10,440 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.4% U.S.: +7.4% |
-5.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+3.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+0.6% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 41.8±2.2Highest 7% above U.S. |
38.3±4.3Lowest about the U.S. average |
41.3±1.9 6% above U.S. |
39.6±1.9 about the U.S. average |
| Orange and Athol are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 22.2%±3.8Highest U.S.: 22% |
18.8%±6.4Lowest U.S.: 22% |
21.8%±3.2 U.S.: 22% |
21.8%±3.9 U.S.: 22% |
| Orange and Athol are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 20.3%±3.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
20.7%±4.6Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
19.3%±2.3 U.S.: 17.2% |
16.9%±2.7Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Castleton and Orange are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 15.7%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
37.9%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
20.4% U.S.: 35.7% |
21.4% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
19.3%±1.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.6%±1.1 U.S.: 6.4% |
4.5%±1.5 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $55,824±$10kLowest 31% below U.S. |
$73,854±$23k 9% below U.S. |
$69,316±$5k 14% below U.S. |
$75,690±$14kHighest 6% below U.S. |
| Winchendon and Castleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $245,900±$18k 26% below U.S. |
$224,800±$71kLowest 32% below U.S. |
$268,100±$13k 19% below U.S. |
$323,800±$19kHighest about the U.S. average |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $775±$233Lowest 45% below U.S. |
$1,137±$195 20% below U.S. |
$1,150±$182 19% below U.S. |
$1,255±$163Highest 11% below U.S. |
| Winchendon and Athol are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,136Highest 33% above U.S. |
$3,167Lowest about the U.S. average |
$3,403 9% above U.S. |
$3,780 21% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 41%±11.9Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
67.7%±21.9Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
57.5%±17.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
61.7%±17.6 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Castleton and Winchendon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 22.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
12.5%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
16.3% U.S.: 12.5% |
18.5% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 70%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
79%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
72.4% U.S.: 65.2% |
76.6% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1966 14 yrs older than U.S. |
1974 6 yrs older than U.S. |
1953Lowest 27 yrs older than U.S. |
1981Highest 1 yr newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 33 minHighest 24% above U.S. |
19 minLowest 27% below U.S. |
27 min about the U.S. average |
32 min 23% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 6.6%±2.8 U.S.: 15.1% |
6.2%±3.9Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
10.6%±3.3 U.S.: 15.1% |
11.2%±3.1Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Winchendon and Athol 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 | #275 of 282 in MA | #39 of 70 in VT | #256 of 282 in MA | #269 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Orange · Ralph C Mahar | Slate Valley Unified Union School District #62 | Athol-Royalston | Winchendon |
| High school in town | Ralph C Mahar Regional | None in town | Athol High | Murdock High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.0Lowest |
— | 11.6Highest |
11.3 |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet | 6 photos → |
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.