Compare towns
Sheldon vs New Braintree vs Proctor
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Sheldon has the most people working from home (13%).
New Braintree has the most expensive homes ($409k median).
Proctor has grown the fastest since 2010 (+1.3%).
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 | Sheldon | New Braintree | Proctor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 2,267Highest |
973Lowest |
1,794 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
-0.3% U.S.: +7.4% |
+1.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 40.9±3.5Lowest 5% above U.S. |
47.8±4.6Highest 23% above U.S. |
42.4±6.4 9% above U.S. |
| New Braintree and Proctor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 23.7%±3.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
20%±4.4Lowest U.S.: 22% |
21.8%±4.4 U.S.: 22% |
| Sheldon and Proctor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 12.6%±2.3Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
25.6%±2.5Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
22.4%±2.5 U.S.: 17.2% |
| New Braintree and Proctor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 14.7%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
41.4%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
28.1% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.9%±1.6 U.S.: 6.4% |
3.6%±1.7Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Proctor and New Braintree are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $78,533±$25k about the U.S. average |
$99,500±$8kHighest 23% above U.S. |
$74,167±$12kLowest 8% below U.S. |
| New Braintree and Sheldon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $272,400±$61k 18% below U.S. |
$408,800±$27kHighest 23% above U.S. |
$209,900±$17kLowest 37% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,286±$379 9% below U.S. |
$1,484±$316Highest 5% above U.S. |
$1,029±$202Lowest 27% below U.S. |
| New Braintree and Sheldon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,578Lowest 15% above U.S. |
$5,508Highest 77% above U.S. |
$4,032 29% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 0%±27Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
51.4%±51.2Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
37.3%±16.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
| New Braintree and Proctor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 5.1%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
7.2% U.S.: 12.5% |
16.2%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 89% U.S.: 65.2% |
89.8%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
86.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1984 4 yrs newer than U.S. |
1987Highest 7 yrs newer than U.S. |
1938Lowest 42 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 25 min 5% below U.S. |
37 minHighest 39% above U.S. |
22 minLowest 16% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 13%±3.7Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
7.4%±3.4Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
9.4%±4.6 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Sheldon and Proctor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | Northern Mountain Valley Unified Union School District #85 | Quabbin | Quarry Valley Unified Union School District #70 |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | Proctor Junior/Senior High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 8.7 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.