Compare towns
Strafford vs Douglas vs Upton vs Cornwall
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Strafford has the most affordable homes ($431k median).
Douglas has the youngest population (median age 44).
Upton has the most expensive homes ($577k median).
Cornwall has the most people working from home (24.4%).
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 | Strafford | Douglas | Upton | Cornwall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,372 |
9,207Highest |
8,189 |
1,208Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -0.4%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6% U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+1.9% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 51.4±4.7Highest 32% above U.S. |
44±2.6Lowest 13% above U.S. |
46.4±4.8 19% above U.S. |
50.4±4.6 30% above U.S. |
| Strafford and Cornwall are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 23%±5.2 U.S.: 22% |
21.2%±3.8 U.S.: 22% |
23.2%±4.5Highest U.S.: 22% |
18.7%±3Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Upton and Strafford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 22.1%±3.4 U.S.: 17.2% |
15.4%±3.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.7%±4.9 U.S.: 17.2% |
25.7%±6.1Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Cornwall and Strafford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 53.3% U.S.: 35.7% |
41.7%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
53.5% U.S.: 35.7% |
54.7%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.1%±2.6 U.S.: 6.4% |
5.4%±2.3Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.4%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.7%±3.1 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Douglas and Strafford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $110,833±$19kLowest 37% above U.S. |
$152,267±$10k 89% above U.S. |
$155,508±$33kHighest 93% above U.S. |
$114,583±$32k 42% above U.S. |
| Upton and Douglas are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $431,300±$40kLowest 30% above U.S. |
$470,600±$29k 41% above U.S. |
$576,700±$41kHighest 73% above U.S. |
$458,000±$49k 38% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,125±$789 20% below U.S. |
$1,503±$697Highest 6% above U.S. |
$948±$599Lowest 33% below U.S. |
$1,125±$206 20% below U.S. |
| Douglas and Strafford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $7,149 129% above U.S. |
$6,338Lowest 103% above U.S. |
$8,376Highest 169% above U.S. |
$6,726 116% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 44.6%±48 U.S.: 51.1% |
33.9%±17.4Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
52.8%±31 U.S.: 51.1% |
61.9%±65.5Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Cornwall and Upton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 5.2%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
4.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
3.2% U.S.: 12.5% |
0.8%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 88.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
83.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
86.7% U.S.: 65.2% |
94.3%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980 same as U.S. |
1986Highest 6 yrs newer than U.S. |
1981 1 yr newer than U.S. |
1976Lowest 4 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 23 minLowest 13% below U.S. |
34 min 28% above U.S. |
35 minHighest 34% above U.S. |
24 min 11% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 16.1%±4.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
20.9%±4.9 U.S.: 15.1% |
22.8%±5.3 U.S.: 15.1% |
24.4%±6.6Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Cornwall and Upton 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 | — | #177 of 282 in MA | #46 of 282 in MA | — |
| School district | Strafford School District | Douglas | Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical · Mendon-Upton | Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 |
| High school in town | None in town | Douglas High School | Blackstone Valley | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 7.2Lowest |
11.2Highest |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.