Compare towns
Orange vs Thompson vs Wendell
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 kids (22.2% under 18).
Thompson has the highest household income ($94k).
Wendell has the most people working from home (16.8%).
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 | Thompson | Wendell |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 7,573 |
9,337Highest |
850Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.4%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
— | +9%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 41.8±2.2Lowest 7% above U.S. |
54.1±2.2Highest 39% above U.S. |
47.1±8.8 21% above U.S. |
| Thompson and Wendell 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% |
11.4%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 22% |
16%±3.5 U.S.: 22% |
| Orange and Wendell are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 20.3%±3.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
24.4%±4.3Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
22.7%±5.7 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Thompson and Wendell 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% |
21.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
51.2%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.9%±1.3 U.S.: 6.4% |
5.1%±2.9Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Wendell and Thompson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $55,824±$10kLowest 31% below U.S. |
$93,629±$18kHighest 16% above U.S. |
$65,288±$14k 19% below U.S. |
| Thompson and Wendell are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $245,900±$18kLowest 26% below U.S. |
$291,900±$24kHighest 12% below U.S. |
$290,300±$31k 13% below U.S. |
| Thompson and Wendell are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $775±$233Lowest 45% below U.S. |
$1,012±$344 28% below U.S. |
$1,239±$519Highest 12% below U.S. |
| Wendell and Thompson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,136 33% above U.S. |
$3,822Lowest 23% above U.S. |
$4,519Highest 45% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 41%±11.9Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
54%±18.7 U.S.: 51.1% |
55.6%±40.8Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Wendell and Thompson 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% |
5.9%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
21.3% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 70%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
84.3% U.S.: 65.2% |
86.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1966 14 yrs older than U.S. |
1963Lowest 17 yrs older than U.S. |
1981Highest 1 yr newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 33 min 24% above U.S. |
32 minLowest 20% above U.S. |
33 minHighest 25% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 6.6%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
13.1%±4.4 U.S.: 15.1% |
16.8%±7.8Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Wendell and Thompson 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 | #130 of 149 in CT | — |
| School district | Orange · Ralph C Mahar | Thompson School District | New Salem-Wendell |
| High school in town | Ralph C Mahar Regional | Tourtellotte Memorial High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.0Highest |
7.9Lowest |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet |
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.