What stands out worked out from the figures below

Pelham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.3%).

Hadley has the shortest commute (20 min average).

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	Hadley
People
Population	14,449Highest	5,306Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+10.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	+1.4%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	41.5±2.7Lowest 7% above U.S.	45.8±7.1Highest 18% above U.S.
	Hadley and Pelham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	22%±2.7Highest U.S.: 22%	16.2%±4.6Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Pelham and Hadley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	16.5%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	24.2%±4.8Highest U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	40%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	61.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.9%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	10.9%±5.7Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Hadley and Pelham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$135,956±$19kHighest 68% above U.S.	$119,259±$12kLowest 48% above U.S.
	Pelham and Hadley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$552,600±$27kHighest 66% above U.S.	$511,000±$43kLowest 54% above U.S.
	Pelham and Hadley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,425±$88Highest about the U.S. average	$1,402±$132Lowest about the U.S. average
	Pelham and Hadley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$8,634Highest 177% above U.S.	$5,271Lowest 69% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	67.3%±12.5Highest U.S.: 51.1%	38.6%±18.9Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Pelham and Hadley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	3.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	6.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	86.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	73.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1987Highest 7 yrs newer than U.S.	1971Lowest 9 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	30 minHighest 12% above U.S.	20 minLowest 26% below U.S.
Work from home	22.8%±3.3Highest U.S.: 15.1%	20.1%±7.4Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Pelham and Hadley 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	#48 of 120 in NH	#116 of 282 in MA
School district	Pelham School District	Hadley
High school in town	Pelham High School	Hopkins Academy
Students per teacherat that high school	10.4Highest	7.3Lowest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.