What stands out worked out from the figures below

Sutton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+4.4%).

Waterville has the most affordable homes ($185k 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	Sutton	Waterville
People
Population	9,452Lowest	17,077Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+4.4%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	+0.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	44.3±2.5Highest 14% above U.S.	35.5±2.5Lowest 9% below U.S.
Kids under 18	19.6%±3.3Highest U.S.: 22%	14.4%±2.4Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Sutton and Waterville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	18.8%±3.2Highest U.S.: 17.2%	18.3%±2.5Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Sutton and Waterville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	52.8%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	30.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.9%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	18.1%±1.5Highest U.S.: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$147,125±$25kHighest 82% above U.S.	$53,580±$4kLowest 34% below U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$523,100±$47kHighest 57% above U.S.	$184,600±$21kLowest 45% below U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,190±$401Highest 16% below U.S.	$978±$72Lowest 31% below U.S.
	Sutton and Waterville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$6,763Highest 117% above U.S.	$2,755Lowest 12% below U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	47.5%±24.4Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	50.5%±8.7Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Waterville and Sutton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	5.8%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	20.6%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	89.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	48.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1981Highest 1 yr newer than U.S.	1959Lowest 21 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	30 minHighest 12% above U.S.	18 minLowest 32% below U.S.
Work from home	22.7%±4.1Highest U.S.: 15.1%	16.6%±5.6Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Sutton and Waterville 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	#105 of 282 in MA	#105 of 133 in ME
School district	Sutton	Waterville Public Schools
High school in town	Sutton High School	Waterville Senior High School
Students per teacherat that high school	12.6Lowest	12.8Highest
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.