What stands out worked out from the figures below

Sharon has the most affordable homes ($347k median).

Newington has the most expensive homes ($862k median).

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	Newington
People
Population	1,577Highest	939Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+3.9%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+7.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	45.6±7.7Lowest 17% above U.S.	48.7±10.1Highest 25% above U.S.
	Newington and Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	21%±5Highest U.S.: 22%	15.7%±4.9Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Sharon and Newington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	25.1%±3.6Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	28%±11Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Newington and Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	37.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	62.4%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	1.5%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	3.9%±1.8Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Newington and Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$84,375±$17kLowest 5% above U.S.	$145,833±$46kHighest 81% above U.S.
	Newington and Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$346,700±$37kLowest 4% above U.S.	$861,600±$46kHighest 159% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,386±$155Lowest about the U.S. average	$2,292±$795Highest 62% above U.S.
	Newington and Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,903Lowest 89% above U.S.	$6,081Highest 95% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	19.8%±17.9Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	62.9%±44Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Newington and Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	4%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	79.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	86.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1981Lowest 1 yr newer than U.S.	1984Highest 4 yrs newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	26 minHighest about the U.S. average	23 minLowest 12% below U.S.
Work from home	12.7%±3.7Highest U.S.: 15.1%	8%±2.4Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Sharon and Newington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	Sharon School District	Newington School District
High school in town	None in town	None in town
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.