Compare towns
Sharon vs Middleton vs Westford
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Sharon has the most people working from home (31.5%).
Middleton has the most homeowners (92.7%).
Westford has grown the fastest since 2010 (+12.3%).
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 | Sharon | Middleton | Westford |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 18,574 |
9,816Lowest |
24,690Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.5%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+8.8% MA: +7.4% |
+12.3%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 42.5±1Lowest 6% above MA |
43.1±2Highest 8% above MA |
42.8±1.2 7% above MA |
| Middleton and Westford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 27.2%±2.8Highest MA: 19.4% |
17.2%±3Lowest MA: 19.4% |
25.6%±2.4 MA: 19.4% |
| Sharon and Westford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 17.6%±2.4 MA: 17.9% |
18.1%±2.9Highest MA: 17.9% |
14.6%±1.9Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Middleton and Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 76.7%Highest MA: 47.3% |
41.7%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
73.9% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5%±1.2 MA: 7.9% |
3.9%±1.4Lowest MA: 7.9% |
5.3%±1.1Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Westford and Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $191,835±$19kHighest 85% above MA |
$167,402±$29kLowest 61% above MA |
$187,198±$10k 80% above MA |
| Sharon and Westford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $737,100±$33kLowest 31% above MA |
$742,700±$48k 32% above MA |
$748,500±$32kHighest 33% above MA |
| Westford and Middleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,310±$345 31% above MA |
$1,407±$284Lowest 20% below MA |
$2,436±$422Highest 38% above MA |
| Westford and Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $10,000+Highest at least 67% above MA |
$8,785Lowest 47% above MA |
$9,695 62% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 49%±16.2 MA: 51.8% |
25.7%±25.3Lowest MA: 51.8% |
53%±8Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Westford and Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 3.8%Highest MA: 10% |
3.4% MA: 10% |
3.2%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.7% MA: 62.5% |
92.7%Highest MA: 62.5% |
85.9%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1970Lowest 6 yrs newer than MA |
1986Highest 22 yrs newer than MA |
1983 19 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 39 minHighest 33% above MA |
30 minLowest 3% above MA |
31 min 6% above MA |
| Work from home | 31.5%±4.3Highest MA: 18.6% |
12.5%±3.4Lowest MA: 18.6% |
27%±2.9 MA: 18.6% |
| Sharon and Westford 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 | #23 of 282 in MA | #71 of 282 in MA | #20 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Sharon | Middleton | Nashoba Valley Regional Vocational Technical · Westford |
| High school in town | Sharon High | None in town | Westford Academy |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.9Lowest |
— | 14.7Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.