Compare towns
Sheldon vs Townsend vs Troy
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%).
Townsend has the most expensive homes ($433k median).
Troy has grown the fastest since 2010 (+3.6%).
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.
| Measure | Sheldon | Townsend | Troy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 2,267 |
9,100Highest |
1,749Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+2.3% U.S.: +7.4% |
+3.6%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 40.9±3.5Lowest 5% above U.S. |
40.9±3.3Lowest 5% above U.S. |
44.5±5.7Highest 14% above U.S. |
| Troy and Sheldon 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% |
21%±3.2Lowest U.S.: 22% |
21.4%±3.9 U.S.: 22% |
| Sheldon and Troy 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% |
17.1%±2.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
17.7%±3Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Troy and Townsend 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% |
35.5%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
20.2% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.1%±2.4Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.7%±1.4 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Townsend and Troy are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $78,533±$25kLowest about the U.S. average |
$121,528±$23kHighest 51% above U.S. |
$87,938±$11k 9% above U.S. |
| Townsend and Troy 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. |
$433,200±$22kHighest 30% above U.S. |
$233,200±$21kLowest 30% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,286±$379 9% below U.S. |
$1,469±$313Highest 4% above U.S. |
$646±$323Lowest 54% below U.S. |
| Townsend 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. |
$6,031Highest 93% above U.S. |
$3,644 17% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 0%±27Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
50.6%±16.8Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
30.8%±26.3 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Townsend and Troy 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% |
8.9%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
8.6% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 89%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
82%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
86.6% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1984Highest 4 yrs newer than U.S. |
1976Lowest 4 yrs older than U.S. |
1980 same as U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 25 min 5% below U.S. |
37 minHighest 41% above U.S. |
24 minLowest 9% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 13%±3.7Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
10.5%±2.8 U.S.: 15.1% |
7.8%±2.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Sheldon and Townsend 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 | — | #136 of 282 in MA | — |
| School district | Northern Mountain Valley Unified Union School District #85 | North Middlesex | Troy School District |
| High school in town | None in town | North Middlesex Regional | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 13.1 |
— |
| 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.