Compare towns
Stow vs Amesbury vs Upton
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Stow has the most people working from home (36.6%).
Amesbury has the most renters (31.4% rent).
Upton has the oldest population (median age 46.4).
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 | Stow | Amesbury | Upton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 7,165Lowest |
17,403Highest |
8,189 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +8.9%Highest MA: +7.4% |
— | +6.1%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 44.1±4.4 10% above MA |
43.7±1.7Lowest 9% above MA |
46.4±4.8Highest 16% above MA |
| Upton and Stow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 22.3%±4.1 MA: 19.4% |
20%±2.4Lowest MA: 19.4% |
23.2%±4.5Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Upton and Stow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.1%±3.5 MA: 17.9% |
18.2%±2.1Lowest MA: 17.9% |
20.7%±4.9Highest MA: 17.9% |
| Upton and Stow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 75.1%Highest MA: 47.3% |
44.8%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
53.5% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.7%±1.4 MA: 7.9% |
4.1%±1.3Highest MA: 7.9% |
2.4%±1.3Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| Amesbury and Stow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $185,809±$22kHighest 79% above MA |
$103,554±$12kLowest about the MA average |
$155,508±$33k 50% above MA |
| Stow and Upton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $729,600±$39kHighest 30% above MA |
$519,300±$32kLowest 8% below MA |
$576,700±$41k about the MA average |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,782±$126Highest about the MA average |
$1,683±$115 4% below MA |
$948±$599Lowest 46% below MA |
| Stow and Amesbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $10,000+Highest at least 67% above MA |
$7,360Lowest 23% above MA |
$8,376 40% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 59.7%±44.2 MA: 51.8% |
66.7%±10.7Highest MA: 51.8% |
52.8%±31Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Amesbury and Stow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 5.2% MA: 10% |
7.1%Highest MA: 10% |
3.2%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 85.4% MA: 62.5% |
68.6%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
86.7%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1974 10 yrs newer than MA |
1969Lowest 5 yrs newer than MA |
1981Highest 17 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 36 minHighest 23% above MA |
29 minLowest about the MA average |
35 min 22% above MA |
| Work from home | 36.6%±6.2Highest MA: 18.6% |
17.4%±2.8Lowest MA: 18.6% |
22.8%±5.3 MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #44 of 282 in MA | #151 of 282 in MA | #46 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Nashoba | Amesbury | Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical · Mendon-Upton |
| High school in town | None in town | Amesbury High | Blackstone Valley |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 10.9Lowest |
11.2Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 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.