Compare towns
Paxton vs Douglas vs Mendon
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Paxton has the most people working from home (25.5%).
Douglas has the highest household income ($152k).
Mendon has the most expensive homes ($616k 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 | Paxton | Douglas | Mendon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 5,002Lowest |
9,207Highest |
6,325 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4.1%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+6% MA: +7.4% |
+6.7%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 41.8±3.3Lowest 4% above MA |
44±2.6 10% above MA |
44.1±4.4Highest 10% above MA |
| Mendon and Douglas are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 17.4%±3.6Lowest MA: 19.4% |
21.2%±3.8 MA: 19.4% |
22.8%±6.2Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Mendon and Douglas are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 18.4%±3.4Highest MA: 17.9% |
15.4%±3.1 MA: 17.9% |
14.7%±3.4Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Paxton and Douglas are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 54.7%Highest MA: 47.3% |
41.7%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
46.9% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 15.9%±1.9Highest MA: 7.9% |
5.4%±2.3Lowest MA: 7.9% |
6.8%±2.5 MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $134,083±$8k 29% above MA |
$152,267±$10kHighest 46% above MA |
$132,256±$33kLowest 27% above MA |
| Douglas and Paxton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $472,300±$29k 16% below MA |
$470,600±$29kLowest 16% below MA |
$616,000±$37kHighest 10% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,386±$88Lowest 21% below MA |
$1,503±$697 15% below MA |
$1,840±$196Highest 4% above MA |
| Mendon and Douglas are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $7,129 19% above MA |
$6,338Lowest 6% above MA |
$7,213Highest 20% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 26.2%±15.7Lowest MA: 51.8% |
33.9%±17.4 MA: 51.8% |
78.7%±26Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Below poverty line | 1.4%Lowest MA: 10% |
4.8% MA: 10% |
7.1%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 91.8%Highest MA: 62.5% |
83.8%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
86.9% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1967Lowest 3 yrs newer than MA |
1986Highest 22 yrs newer than MA |
1985 21 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 31 min 5% above MA |
34 minHighest 16% above MA |
30 minLowest 4% above MA |
| Work from home | 25.5%±5.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
20.9%±4.9 MA: 18.6% |
15.1%±5.7Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Paxton and Douglas 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 | #219 of 282 in MA | #177 of 282 in MA | #210 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Wachusett | Douglas | Mendon-Upton |
| High school in town | None in town | Douglas High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 7.2 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.