What stands out worked out from the figures below

Putnam has the shortest commute (21 min average).

Washington has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.1%).

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	Putnam	Washington
People
Population	540Lowest	1,208Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-6.9%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+6.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	53.6±6.4Lowest 38% above U.S.	55±4.7Highest 41% above U.S.
	Washington and Putnam are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	17.4%±5.2Highest U.S.: 22%	13.8%±4.9Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Putnam and Washington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	35.6%±3.4Highest U.S.: 17.2%	29%±3Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	31.4%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	32%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.8%±1.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	4.6%±2.5Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Washington and Putnam are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$92,344±$14kHighest 14% above U.S.	$89,453±$12kLowest 11% above U.S.
	Putnam and Washington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$266,200±$48kLowest 20% below U.S.	$358,600±$32kHighest 8% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	—	$1,106±$160 22% below U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,674Lowest 18% above U.S.	$4,321Highest 39% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	0%±100 U.S.: 51.1%	0%±88.9 U.S.: 51.1%
Below poverty line	7.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	8.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	95.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	94.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1971Lowest 9 yrs older than U.S.	1983Highest 3 yrs newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	21 minLowest 19% below U.S.	36 minHighest 34% above U.S.
Work from home	8.6%±5.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	14.9%±5.3Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Washington and Putnam are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	PUTNAM CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT	Washington School District
High school in town	None in town	None in town
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.