Compare towns
Southwick vs Fairhaven vs Suffield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Southwick has the most kids (18.2% under 18).
Fairhaven has the most renters (25.6% rent).
Suffield has the most people working from home (18.4%).
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 | Southwick | Fairhaven | Suffield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 9,217Lowest |
15,903Highest |
15,702 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2.8%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+0.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
— |
| Median age | 46.8±1.8 20% above U.S. |
48.5±3.4Highest 25% above U.S. |
44.5±1.7Lowest 14% above U.S. |
| Fairhaven and Southwick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 18.2%±3Highest U.S.: 22% |
16.9%±2.7 U.S.: 22% |
16.2%±2Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Southwick and Fairhaven are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 21%±3.4 U.S.: 17.2% |
24.9%±2.9Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
18.4%±2.2Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Fairhaven and Southwick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 35.1% U.S.: 35.7% |
32.5%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
40.4%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.5%±1.7Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.3%±1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.4%±1.2 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Southwick and Suffield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $120,462±$16kHighest 49% above U.S. |
$95,965±$19kLowest 19% above U.S. |
$119,472±$13k 48% above U.S. |
| Southwick and Suffield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $397,500±$27kLowest 19% above U.S. |
$446,700±$19kHighest 34% above U.S. |
$407,500±$26k 22% above U.S. |
| Fairhaven and Suffield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,332±$72 6% below U.S. |
$1,118±$79Lowest 21% below U.S. |
$1,424±$141Highest about the U.S. average |
| Suffield and Southwick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,331 71% above U.S. |
$3,566Lowest 14% above U.S. |
$6,456Highest 107% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51%±10Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
51.1%±14Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
51%±4.6Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Fairhaven and Southwick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
8.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
4.6% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 83.4% U.S.: 65.2% |
74.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
86.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1978 2 yrs older than U.S. |
1952Lowest 28 yrs older than U.S. |
1979Highest 1 yr older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 8% above U.S. |
29 min 8% above U.S. |
26 minLowest 3% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 16.2%±5.1 U.S.: 15.1% |
11.4%±3.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
18.4%±4.1Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Suffield and Southwick 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 | #211 of 282 in MA | #126 of 282 in MA | #57 of 149 in CT |
| School district | Southwick-Tolland-Granville Regional School District | Fairhaven | Suffield School District |
| High school in town | Southwick Regional School | Fairhaven High | Suffield High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.0 |
11.4Highest |
10.9Lowest |
| 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.
