Compare towns
Pinehurst vs Thompson vs Bedford
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Pinehurst has the most homeowners (97.4%).
Thompson has the most affordable homes ($292k median).
Bedford has the most people working from home (32.4%).
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 | Pinehurst | Thompson | Bedford |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 6,845Lowest |
9,337 |
14,727Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
— | +8%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 42.6±2Lowest 10% above U.S. |
54.1±2.2Highest 39% above U.S. |
44.3±1.6 14% above U.S. |
| Kids under 18 | 19.8%±4.1 U.S.: 22% |
11.4%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 22% |
20.8%±2.7Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Bedford and Pinehurst are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 21.1%±3.2 U.S.: 17.2% |
24.4%±4.3Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
19.1%±2.6Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Thompson and Pinehurst are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 34.2% U.S.: 35.7% |
21.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
69.6%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±1.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
2.9%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
6.5%±1.9Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Bedford and Pinehurst are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $146,250±$27k 81% above U.S. |
$93,629±$18kLowest 16% above U.S. |
$172,400±$23kHighest 114% above U.S. |
| Bedford and Pinehurst are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $623,800±$22k 87% above U.S. |
$291,900±$24kLowest 12% below U.S. |
$898,500±$43kHighest 170% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,946±$1k 38% above U.S. |
$1,012±$344Lowest 28% below U.S. |
$2,622±$327Highest 86% above U.S. |
| Bedford and Pinehurst are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,316 103% above U.S. |
$3,822Lowest 23% above U.S. |
$10,000+Highest at least 221% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 32%±58.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
54%±18.7Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
42%±9.5 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Thompson and Bedford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 2.9%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
5.9%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
5.5% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 97.4%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
84.3% U.S.: 65.2% |
68.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1972 8 yrs older than U.S. |
1963Lowest 17 yrs older than U.S. |
1976Highest 4 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 min about the U.S. average |
32 minHighest 20% above U.S. |
26 minLowest about the U.S. average |
| Work from home | 13.1%±3.2Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
13.1%±4.4Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
32.4%±6.2Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | #130 of 149 in CT | #7 of 282 in MA |
| School district | — | Thompson School District | Bedford |
| High school in town | — | Tourtellotte Memorial High School | Bedford High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 7.9Lowest |
11.2Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.