Compare towns
Strafford vs Townsend vs Tunbridge
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 shortest commute (23 min average).
Townsend has the highest household income ($122k).
Tunbridge has grown the fastest since 2010 (+4.1%).
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 | Townsend | Tunbridge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,372 |
9,100Highest |
1,253Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -0.4%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+2.3% U.S.: +7.4% |
+4.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 51.4±4.7Highest 32% above U.S. |
40.9±3.3Lowest 5% above U.S. |
42.7±8.3 10% above U.S. |
| Strafford and Tunbridge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 23%±5.2Highest U.S.: 22% |
21%±3.2Lowest U.S.: 22% |
21.1%±4.4 U.S.: 22% |
| Strafford and Tunbridge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 22.1%±3.4Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
17.1%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.9%±1.6 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Strafford and Tunbridge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 53.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
35.5%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
42.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.1%±2.6Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.1%±2.4Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.6%±2Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $110,833±$19k 37% above U.S. |
$121,528±$23kHighest 51% above U.S. |
$89,464±$26kLowest 11% above U.S. |
| Townsend and Strafford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $431,300±$40k 30% above U.S. |
$433,200±$22kHighest 30% above U.S. |
$315,300±$23kLowest 5% below U.S. |
| Townsend and Strafford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,125±$789Lowest 20% below U.S. |
$1,469±$313Highest 4% above U.S. |
$1,346±$128 5% below U.S. |
| Townsend and Tunbridge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $7,149Highest 129% above U.S. |
$6,031 93% above U.S. |
$4,645Lowest 49% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 44.6%±48Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
50.6%±16.8 U.S.: 51.1% |
76.7%±100Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Tunbridge and Townsend 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% |
8.9% U.S.: 12.5% |
14.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 88.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
82%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
84.2% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980 same as U.S. |
1976Lowest 4 yrs older than U.S. |
1981Highest 1 yr newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 minLowest 13% below U.S. |
37 minHighest 41% above U.S. |
31 min 16% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 16.1%±4.3 U.S.: 15.1% |
10.5%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
25.8%±8.2Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Tunbridge and Strafford 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 | — | #136 of 282 in MA | — |
| School district | Strafford School District | North Middlesex | First Branch Unified School District #82 |
| High school in town | None in town | North Middlesex Regional | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 13.1 |
— |
| 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.