Compare towns
Orange vs Windsor Locks 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).
Windsor Locks has the most people working from home (17.7%).
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 | Windsor Locks | Winchendon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 7,573Lowest |
12,579Highest |
10,440 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.4%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
— | +0.6%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 41.8±2.2Highest 7% above U.S. |
41.4±2.6 6% above U.S. |
39.6±1.9Lowest about the U.S. average |
| Orange and Windsor Locks 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% |
18.6%±3.4Lowest U.S.: 22% |
21.8%±3.9 U.S.: 22% |
| Orange and Winchendon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 20.3%±3.1Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
18.2%±2.7 U.S.: 17.2% |
16.9%±2.7Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Orange and Windsor Locks 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% |
28.6%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
21.4% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.9%±1.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.5%±1.5 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Windsor Locks and Winchendon 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. |
$81,205±$13kHighest about the U.S. average |
$75,690±$14k 6% below U.S. |
| Windsor Locks and Winchendon 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. |
$258,800±$14k 22% below U.S. |
$323,800±$19kHighest about the U.S. average |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $775±$233Lowest 45% below U.S. |
$1,394±$187Highest about the U.S. average |
$1,255±$163 11% below U.S. |
| Windsor Locks and Winchendon 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. |
$3,688Lowest 18% above U.S. |
$3,780 21% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 41%±11.9Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
58.2%±16.8 U.S.: 51.1% |
61.7%±17.6Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Winchendon and Windsor Locks 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% |
10.9%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
18.5% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 70%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
77.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
76.6% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1966 14 yrs older than U.S. |
1961Lowest 19 yrs older than U.S. |
1981Highest 1 yr newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 33 minHighest 24% above U.S. |
22 minLowest 17% below U.S. |
32 min 23% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 6.6%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
17.7%±3.7Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
11.2%±3.1 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Windsor Locks and Winchendon 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 | #109 of 149 in CT | #269 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Orange · Ralph C Mahar | Windsor Locks School District | Winchendon |
| High school in town | Ralph C Mahar Regional | Windsor Locks High School | Murdock High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.0 |
8.9Lowest |
11.3Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.