What stands out worked out from the figures below

Petersham has the most kids (12.7% under 18).

Tyringham has the most expensive homes ($699k 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	Petersham	Tyringham
People
Population	1,185Highest	494Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-3.2% MA: +7.4%	—
Median age	56.3±2.7Lowest 41% above MA	59.2±2.7Highest 48% above MA
	Tyringham and Petersham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	12.7%±2.5Highest MA: 19.4%	8.7%±5.3Lowest MA: 19.4%
	Petersham and Tyringham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	30.5%±4.7Lowest MA: 17.9%	35.2%±8.8Highest MA: 17.9%
	Tyringham and Petersham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	42.6%Lowest MA: 47.3%	66.3%Highest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4%±1.7Highest MA: 7.9%	3.6%±2.4Lowest MA: 7.9%
	Petersham and Tyringham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$110,750±$20kLowest 7% above MA	$163,333±$28kHighest 57% above MA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$392,400±$20kLowest 30% below MA	$699,400±$96kHighest 24% above MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,679±$441Highest 5% below MA	$1,050±$393Lowest 40% below MA
	Petersham and Tyringham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,636Highest 23% below MA	$4,632Lowest 23% below MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	20%±100Lowest MA: 51.8%	60%±100Highest MA: 51.8%
	Tyringham and Petersham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	8.8%Highest MA: 10%	3.6%Lowest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	94.2%Highest MA: 62.5%	89.9%Lowest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1962Lowest 2 yrs older than MA	1981Highest 17 yrs newer than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	39 minHighest 32% above MA	36 minLowest 23% above MA
Work from home	16.2%±5.8Lowest MA: 18.6%	26.2%±8Highest MA: 18.6%
	Tyringham and Petersham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	Petersham	—
High school 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.