Compare towns
Springfield vs Sterling
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Springfield has the most affordable homes ($245k median).
Sterling has the highest household income ($129k).
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 | Springfield | Sterling |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 154,749Highest |
8,183Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +1.9%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+2.3%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 33.7±0.5Lowest 16% below MA |
51.5±1.8Highest 29% above MA |
| Kids under 18 | 24.2%±0.9Highest MA: 19.4% |
18.6%±4.1Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 13.2%±0.7Lowest MA: 17.9% |
22.9%±4Highest MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 20.5%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
48.3%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 7.5%±0.5Highest MA: 7.9% |
4.8%±1.8Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $52,656±$2kLowest 49% below MA |
$129,063±$27kHighest 24% above MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $245,000±$4kLowest 56% below MA |
$498,800±$48kHighest 11% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,144±$55Lowest 35% below MA |
$1,699±$161Highest 4% below MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,695Lowest 38% below MA |
$6,757Highest 13% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 57.7%±3.1Highest MA: 51.8% |
46%±23.1Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Springfield and Sterling are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 25.8%Highest MA: 10% |
6%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 49.6%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
86.3%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1952Lowest 12 yrs older than MA |
1980Highest 16 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minLowest 31% below MA |
34 minHighest 18% above MA |
| Work from home | 8.4%±0.9Lowest MA: 18.6% |
18.3%±6.2Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #276 of 282 in MA | #135 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Springfield | Wachusett |
| High school in town | Springfield Central High | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.2 |
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| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet |
MA 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.