Compare towns
Quinebaug vs Northbridge vs Upton vs Thompson
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Quinebaug has the most affordable homes ($238k median).
Northbridge has the most renters (29.5% rent).
Upton has the highest household income ($156k).
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 | Quinebaug | Northbridge | Upton | Thompson |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,193Lowest |
16,458Highest |
8,189 |
9,337 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -1.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+4% U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
— |
| Median age | 56.5±1Highest 45% above U.S. |
43.8±2.6Lowest 13% above U.S. |
46.4±4.8 19% above U.S. |
54.1±2.2 39% above U.S. |
| Quinebaug and Thompson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 0%±3.3Lowest U.S.: 22% |
21.1%±2.9 U.S.: 22% |
23.2%±4.5Highest U.S.: 22% |
11.4%±2.8 U.S.: 22% |
| Upton and Northbridge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 29.1%±9.8Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
16.4%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.7%±4.9 U.S.: 17.2% |
24.4%±4.3 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Quinebaug and Thompson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 10.3%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
36.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
53.5%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
21.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.3%±2.4Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.3%±1.3Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.4%±1.3 U.S.: 6.4% |
2.9%±1.3 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Northbridge and Thompson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $105,181±$36k 30% above U.S. |
$111,319±$19k 38% above U.S. |
$155,508±$33kHighest 93% above U.S. |
$93,629±$18kLowest 16% above U.S. |
| Upton and Northbridge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $237,800±$66kLowest 29% below U.S. |
$448,600±$15k 35% above U.S. |
$576,700±$41kHighest 73% above U.S. |
$291,900±$24k 12% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,207±$102Highest 15% below U.S. |
$948±$599Lowest 33% below U.S. |
$1,012±$344 28% below U.S. |
| Northbridge and Thompson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,703Lowest 19% above U.S. |
$4,821 55% above U.S. |
$8,376Highest 169% above U.S. |
$3,822 23% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 0%±100Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
51.2%±9.8 U.S.: 51.1% |
52.8%±31 U.S.: 51.1% |
54%±18.7Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Thompson and Upton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 1.3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
7.9%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
3.2% U.S.: 12.5% |
5.9% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 97%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
70.5%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
86.7% U.S.: 65.2% |
84.3% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1960Lowest 20 yrs older than U.S. |
1973 7 yrs older than U.S. |
1981Highest 1 yr newer than U.S. |
1963 17 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minLowest about the U.S. average |
31 min 17% above U.S. |
35 minHighest 34% above U.S. |
32 min 20% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 23.3%±17.9Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
16.2%±3.6 U.S.: 15.1% |
22.8%±5.3 U.S.: 15.1% |
13.1%±4.4Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Quinebaug and Upton 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 | — | #226 of 282 in MA | #46 of 282 in MA | #130 of 149 in CT |
| School district | — | Northbridge | Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical · Mendon-Upton | Thompson School District |
| High school in town | — | Northbridge High | Blackstone Valley | Tourtellotte Memorial High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 10.8 |
11.2Highest |
7.9Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.