What stands out worked out from the figures below

Pelham has the most people working from home (32.8%).

Adams has the most affordable homes ($210k 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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Pelham	Adams
People
Population	1,335Lowest	8,074Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-3.1%Highest MA: +7.4%	-3.8%Lowest MA: +7.4%
Median age	45±8.4Lowest 13% above MA	47.3±3.3Highest 18% above MA
	Adams and Pelham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	21%±4.6Highest MA: 19.4%	15.7%±3.3Lowest MA: 19.4%
	Pelham and Adams are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	26.7%±6.9Highest MA: 17.9%	25.2%±3.4Lowest MA: 17.9%
	Pelham and Adams are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	64.8%Highest MA: 47.3%	24.5%Lowest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2%±1.6Lowest MA: 7.9%	4.5%±1.9Highest MA: 7.9%
	Adams and Pelham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$113,750±$24kHighest 9% above MA	$58,929±$6kLowest 43% below MA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$447,600±$33kHighest 20% below MA	$209,900±$15kLowest 63% below MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,205±$560Highest 32% below MA	$963±$74Lowest 45% below MA
	Pelham and Adams are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$7,472Highest 25% above MA	$3,638Lowest 39% below MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	42.7%±35.2Lowest MA: 51.8%	62.1%±10.3Highest MA: 51.8%
	Adams and Pelham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	10.3%Lowest MA: 10%	13.2%Highest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	79.1%Highest MA: 62.5%	62.1%Lowest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1958Highest 6 yrs older than MA	1938Lowest 26 yrs older than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	23 minLowest 21% below MA	24 minHighest 19% below MA
Work from home	32.8%±7.4Highest MA: 18.6%	8.3%±2.8Lowest MA: 18.6%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	—	#230 of 282 in MA
School district	Pelham	Hoosac Valley Regional
High school in town	None in town	None in town
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.