What stands out worked out from the figures below

Sharon has the most kids (21% under 18).

Waltham has the most people working from home (20.6%).

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	Waltham
People
Population	1,577Highest	452Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+3.9% VT: +2.8%	—
Median age	45.6±7.7Lowest 6% above VT	60.8±7.3Highest 41% above VT
Kids under 18	21%±5Highest VT: 17.9%	12.8%±7.4Lowest VT: 17.9%
	Sharon and Waltham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	25.1%±3.6Lowest VT: 21.4%	45.4%±3.1Highest VT: 21.4%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	37.9%Lowest VT: 43.8%	39%Highest VT: 43.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	1.5%±0.9Lowest VT: 7%	3.1%±2.1Highest VT: 7%
	Waltham 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 4% above VT	$97,500±$14kHighest 20% above VT
	Waltham 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±$37kHighest 10% above VT	$329,700±$51kLowest 4% above VT
	Sharon and Waltham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,386±$155Highest 12% above VT	$1,096±$113Lowest 11% below VT
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,903Highest 17% above VT	$5,714Lowest 13% above VT
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	19.8%±17.9Lowest VT: 48.4%	29.2%±58.6Highest VT: 48.4%
	Waltham and Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	3%Lowest VT: 10.1%	5.3%Highest VT: 10.1%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	79.7%Lowest VT: 73.2%	86.3%Highest VT: 73.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1981Lowest 5 yrs newer than VT	1986Highest 10 yrs newer than VT
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	26 minLowest 12% above VT	28 minHighest 18% above VT
Work from home	12.7%±3.7Lowest VT: 16.9%	20.6%±5.7Highest VT: 16.9%
	Waltham and Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	Sharon School District	—
High school in town	None in town	—
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	None yet	None yet

VT 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.