What stands out worked out from the figures below

Shirley has the most expensive homes ($220k median).

Danforth has the most affordable homes ($90k 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	Shirley	Danforth
People
Population	234Lowest	666Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	—	-0.3% ME: +2.6%
Median age	42±8.2Lowest 6% below ME	53.1±4.4Highest 19% above ME
	Danforth and Shirley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	16.2%±9.2Highest ME: 18.1%	13.4%±4.3Lowest ME: 18.1%
	Shirley and Danforth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	26.5%±10.1Highest ME: 22.4%	26.1%±3.7Lowest ME: 22.4%
	Shirley and Danforth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	30.6%Highest ME: 36.2%	9%Lowest ME: 36.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4.3%±5.1Highest ME: 5.8%	1.7%±2Lowest ME: 5.8%
	Shirley and Danforth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$61,875±$22kHighest 17% below ME	$48,125±$8kLowest 36% below ME
	Shirley and Danforth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$219,600±$36kHighest 26% below ME	$89,900±$36kLowest 70% below ME
Rentmedian gross, monthly	—	$629±$29 45% below ME
Property taxmedian, yearly	$2,522Highest 17% below ME	$1,270Lowest 58% below ME
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	—	36.1%±57.5 ME: 48.4%
Below poverty line	17%Highest ME: 10.7%	13.9%Lowest ME: 10.7%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	99%Highest ME: 74.3%	81.6%Lowest ME: 74.3%
Typical home builtmedian year	1984Lowest 7 yrs newer than ME	1987Highest 10 yrs newer than ME
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	21 minLowest 17% below ME	28 minHighest 15% above ME
Work from home	5.3%±4.9Lowest ME: 15.9%	5.8%±3.4Highest ME: 15.9%
	Danforth and Shirley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	None yet	None yet

ME 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.