Compare towns
Roxbury vs Sharon vs Nelson
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Roxbury has the shortest commute (21 min average).
Sharon has the most renters (20.3% rent).
Nelson has the most people working from home (31.5%).
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 | Roxbury | Sharon | Nelson |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 299Lowest |
1,577Highest |
648 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +3.9%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
-13.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 43.2±17.7 11% above U.S. |
45.6±7.7Highest 17% above U.S. |
42.3±11.7Lowest 9% above U.S. |
| Sharon and Roxbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 14.7%±11.5Lowest U.S.: 22% |
21%±5 U.S.: 22% |
27.5%±6.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Nelson and Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 17.4%±10.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
25.1%±3.6Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
24.8%±2 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Sharon and Nelson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 30.6%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
37.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
61.1%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 13.4%±15.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
1.5%±0.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
0.9%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Roxbury and Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $69,226±$14kLowest 14% below U.S. |
$84,375±$17k 5% above U.S. |
$99,792±$23kHighest 24% above U.S. |
| Nelson and Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $323,100±$219kLowest about the U.S. average |
$346,700±$37kHighest 4% above U.S. |
$340,900±$49k about the U.S. average |
| Sharon and Nelson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,386±$155Highest about the U.S. average |
$1,203±$243Lowest 15% below U.S. |
| Sharon and Nelson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,787 86% above U.S. |
$5,903Highest 89% above U.S. |
$5,575Lowest 79% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 0%±100Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
19.8%±17.9 U.S.: 51.1% |
40%±68.8Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Nelson and Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 3.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
3% U.S.: 12.5% |
1.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 95.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
79.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
90.2% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1969Lowest 11 yrs older than U.S. |
1981Highest 1 yr newer than U.S. |
1975 5 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 21 minLowest 21% below U.S. |
26 minHighest about the U.S. average |
24 min 8% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 0.7%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
12.7%±3.7 U.S.: 15.1% |
31.5%±8Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| School district | — | Sharon School District | Nelson School District |
| High school in town | — | None in town | None in town |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.