What stands out worked out from the figures below

Stow has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.9%).

Raymond has the most affordable homes ($396k 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	Stow	Raymond
People
Population	7,165Highest	4,610Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+8.9%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	+2.3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	44.1±4.4Lowest 13% above U.S.	47.3±4.1Highest 22% above U.S.
	Raymond and Stow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	22.3%±4.1Highest U.S.: 22%	19.1%±4.9Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Stow and Raymond are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	19.1%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	22.2%±5.5Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Raymond 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 U.S.: 35.7%	49.3%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.7%±1.4Highest U.S.: 6.4%	3.5%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Stow and Raymond 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 130% above U.S.	$88,194±$20kLowest 9% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$729,600±$39kHighest 119% above U.S.	$395,800±$42kLowest 19% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,782±$126Highest 26% above U.S.	$965±$397Lowest 32% below U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$10,000+Highest at least 221% above U.S.	$3,139Lowest about the U.S. average
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	59.7%±44.2Highest U.S.: 51.1%	38.3%±62.5Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Stow and Raymond are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	5.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	5.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	85.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	89.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1974Lowest 6 yrs older than U.S.	1976Highest 4 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	36 minLowest 35% above U.S.	37 minHighest 40% above U.S.
Work from home	36.6%±6.2Highest U.S.: 15.1%	32.3%±11.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Stow and Raymond 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	#44 of 282 in MA	#112 of 133 in ME
School district	Nashoba	RSU 14
High school in town	None in town	None in town
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.