What stands out worked out from the figures below

Pittsfield has the most affordable homes ($257k median).

Northbridge has grown the fastest since 2010 (+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.

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

Measure	Pittsfield	Northbridge
People
Population	43,457Highest	16,458Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-1.8%Lowest MA: +7.4%	+4%Highest MA: +7.4%
Median age	42.4±2Lowest 6% above MA	43.8±2.6Highest 9% above MA
	Northbridge and Pittsfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	17.6%±1.4Lowest MA: 19.4%	21.1%±2.9Highest MA: 19.4%
	Northbridge and Pittsfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	19.4%±1.5Highest MA: 17.9%	16.4%±2.1Lowest MA: 17.9%
	Pittsfield and Northbridge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	34.2%Lowest MA: 47.3%	36.9%Highest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	6.2%±1.1Highest MA: 7.9%	4.3%±1.3Lowest MA: 7.9%
	Pittsfield and Northbridge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$70,582±$5kLowest 32% below MA	$111,319±$19kHighest 7% above MA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$256,900±$8kLowest 54% below MA	$448,600±$15kHighest 20% below MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,134±$61Lowest 36% below MA	$1,207±$102Highest 31% below MA
	Northbridge and Pittsfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,148Lowest 31% below MA	$4,821Highest 20% below MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	52.8%±5.7Highest MA: 51.8%	51.2%±9.8Lowest MA: 51.8%
	Pittsfield and Northbridge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	14.9%Highest MA: 10%	7.9%Lowest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	62.8%Lowest MA: 62.5%	70.5%Highest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1950Lowest 14 yrs older than MA	1973Highest 9 yrs newer than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	19 minLowest 36% below MA	31 minHighest 7% above MA
Work from home	10.2%±2.2Lowest MA: 18.6%	16.2%±3.6Highest MA: 18.6%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#251 of 282 in MA	#226 of 282 in MA
School district	Pittsfield	Northbridge
High school in town	Taconic High	Northbridge High
Students per teacherat that high school	9.3Lowest	10.8Highest
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.