Compare towns
Sprague vs Upton vs Bethlehem
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Sprague has the most affordable homes ($274k median).
Upton has the most people working from home (22.8%).
Bethlehem has the oldest population (median age 51.5).
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 | Sprague | Upton | Bethlehem |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 2,962Lowest |
8,189Highest |
3,423 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +6.1% U.S.: +7.4% |
— |
| Median age | 48.5±10.7 25% above U.S. |
46.4±4.8Lowest 19% above U.S. |
51.5±8.5Highest 32% above U.S. |
| Bethlehem and Sprague are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 17.1%±5.4 U.S.: 22% |
23.2%±4.5Highest U.S.: 22% |
16.3%±4Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Upton and Sprague are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.9%±3.9Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.7%±4.9 U.S.: 17.2% |
24.5%±5.3Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bethlehem and Upton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 19.2%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
53.5%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
39.2% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 0.6%±0.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.4%±1.3 U.S.: 6.4% |
4.5%±3.1Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Bethlehem and Upton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $92,850±$11kLowest 15% above U.S. |
$155,508±$33kHighest 93% above U.S. |
$108,929±$16k 35% above U.S. |
| Upton and Bethlehem are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $273,500±$17kLowest 18% below U.S. |
$576,700±$41kHighest 73% above U.S. |
$410,900±$36k 24% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,247±$144Highest 12% below U.S. |
$948±$599Lowest 33% below U.S. |
$1,127±$124 20% below U.S. |
| Sprague and Bethlehem are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,668Lowest 50% above U.S. |
$8,376Highest 169% above U.S. |
$5,932 90% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 26.9%±12.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
52.8%±31 U.S.: 51.1% |
69.7%±38.5Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Bethlehem and Upton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 8.1% U.S.: 12.5% |
3.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
10.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 67.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
86.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
70.2% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1959Lowest 21 yrs older than U.S. |
1981Highest 1 yr newer than U.S. |
1976 4 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 min 12% above U.S. |
35 minHighest 34% above U.S. |
29 minLowest 10% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 5%±2.9Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
22.8%±5.3Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
13.9%±5 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Upton and Bethlehem 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 | #141 of 149 in CT | #46 of 282 in MA | #82 of 149 in CT |
| School district | Sprague School District | Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical · Mendon-Upton | Regional School District 14 |
| High school in town | None in town | Blackstone Valley | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 11.2 |
— |
| 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.