What stands out worked out from the figures below

Suffield has the most affordable homes ($408k median).

Mashpee has the most expensive homes ($562k 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	Suffield	Mashpee
People
Population	15,702Highest	15,384Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	—	+7.5% U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	44.5±1.7Lowest 14% above U.S.	55.9±1.8Highest 44% above U.S.
Kids under 18	16.2%±2Highest U.S.: 22%	14.7%±2.3Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Suffield and Mashpee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	18.4%±2.2Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	33.1%±2.9Highest U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	40.4%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	44.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4.4%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	4.5%±1.4Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Mashpee and Suffield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$119,472±$13kHighest 48% above U.S.	$95,299±$13kLowest 18% above U.S.
	Suffield and Mashpee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$407,500±$26kLowest 22% above U.S.	$562,200±$29kHighest 69% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,424±$141Lowest about the U.S. average	$1,776±$330Highest 26% above U.S.
	Mashpee and Suffield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$6,456Highest 107% above U.S.	$3,762Lowest 21% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	51%±4.6Highest U.S.: 51.1%	44.7%±14.5Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Suffield and Mashpee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	4.6%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	5.5%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	86.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	81.9%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1979Lowest 1 yr older than U.S.	1988Highest 8 yrs newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	26 minLowest 3% below U.S.	27 minHighest 3% above U.S.
Work from home	18.4%±4.1Highest U.S.: 15.1%	14.5%±3Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Suffield and Mashpee 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	#57 of 149 in CT	#100 of 282 in MA
School district	Suffield School District	Mashpee
High school in town	Suffield High School	Mashpee Middle-High School
Students per teacherat that high school	10.9Highest	9.6Lowest
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.