Compare towns
Orange vs Sharon vs Worcester
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 youngest population (median age 41.3).
Sharon has the most expensive homes ($476k median).
Worcester has the most people working from home (23.6%).
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.
| Measure | Orange | Sharon | Worcester |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 320Lowest |
442 |
831Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | — | -3.4% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 41.3±9.1Lowest 6% above U.S. |
49.4±11.2Highest 27% above U.S. |
47±2.7 21% above U.S. |
| Sharon and Worcester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 20.6%±5.6 U.S.: 22% |
22.4%±8.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
12.8%±3.9Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Sharon and Orange are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 20%±5 U.S.: 17.2% |
31.4%±6.8Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
19.5%±2.5Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Sharon and Orange are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 37.2%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
41.2% U.S.: 35.7% |
53%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.7%±3.7 U.S.: 6.4% |
1.6%±3Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
6.9%±4.7Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Worcester and Orange are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $118,750±$39kHighest 47% above U.S. |
$113,125±$19k 40% above U.S. |
$73,833±$18kLowest 9% below U.S. |
| Orange and Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $302,600±$35k 9% below U.S. |
$475,900±$38kHighest 43% above U.S. |
$271,100±$27kLowest 19% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,458±$1kHighest 3% above U.S. |
$1,023±$136Lowest 28% below U.S. |
| Sharon and Worcester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,132 65% above U.S. |
$8,274Highest 165% above U.S. |
$4,421Lowest 42% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 0%±100Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
28.6%±100Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
25.5%±37 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Sharon and Worcester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 9.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
6.2% U.S.: 12.5% |
5.9%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 97.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
93.1% U.S.: 65.2% |
85.9%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1986Highest 6 yrs newer than U.S. |
1979 1 yr older than U.S. |
1976Lowest 4 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minLowest 6% above U.S. |
32 minHighest 21% above U.S. |
29 min 9% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 20.8%±8.9 U.S.: 15.1% |
11.2%±4.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
23.6%±4.8Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Worcester and Orange are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | — | — | Washington Central Unified Union School District #92 |
| High school in town | — | — | None in town |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.