What stands out worked out from the figures below

Sharon has the most affordable homes ($737k median).

Westwood has grown the fastest since 2010 (+11.3%).

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.

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

Measure	Sharon	Westwood
People
Population	18,574Highest	16,318Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+5.5%Lowest MA: +7.4%	+11.3%Highest MA: +7.4%
Median age	42.5±1Lowest 6% above MA	43.9±1.6Highest 10% above MA
	Westwood and Sharon 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%	26.1%±3.1Lowest MA: 19.4%
	Sharon and Westwood are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	17.6%±2.4Lowest MA: 17.9%	19.7%±2.5Highest MA: 17.9%
	Westwood 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%	72.4%Lowest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5%±1.2Highest MA: 7.9%	4.5%±1.9Lowest MA: 7.9%
	Sharon and Westwood are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$191,835±$19kLowest 85% above MA	$223,125±$33kHighest 115% above MA
	Westwood and Sharon 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	$1,041,500±$42kHighest 85% above MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$2,310±$345Lowest 31% above MA	$2,553±$323Highest 45% above MA
	Westwood and Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$10,000+ at least 67% above MA	$10,000+ at least 67% above MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	49%±16.2Lowest MA: 51.8%	60.8%±14Highest MA: 51.8%
	Westwood and Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	3.8%Lowest MA: 10%	4.6%Highest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	87.7%Highest MA: 62.5%	87.3%Lowest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1970Highest 6 yrs newer than MA	1968Lowest 4 yrs newer than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	39 minHighest 33% above MA	30 minLowest 4% above MA
Work from home	31.5%±4.3Highest MA: 18.6%	25.1%±5.1Lowest MA: 18.6%
	Sharon and Westwood 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	#16 of 282 in MA
School district	Sharon	Westwood
High school in town	Sharon High	Westwood High
Students per teacherat that high school	11.9Highest	11.1Lowest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.