What stands out worked out from the figures below

Swansea has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.1%).

Charlton has the most people working from home (13%).

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	Swansea	Charlton
People
Population	17,359Highest	13,435Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+8.1%Highest MA: +7.4%	+2.6%Lowest MA: +7.4%
Median age	45±3.3Highest 13% above MA	43±4Lowest 8% above MA
	Swansea and Charlton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	20.5%±3Lowest MA: 19.4%	24.7%±3.9Highest MA: 19.4%
	Charlton and Swansea are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	25%±3Highest MA: 17.9%	18%±2.8Lowest MA: 17.9%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	36.8%Lowest MA: 47.3%	37.6%Highest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4.3%±1.5Lowest MA: 7.9%	6.8%±2.6Highest MA: 7.9%
	Charlton and Swansea are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$116,364±$14kLowest 12% above MA	$117,587±$8kHighest 13% above MA
	Charlton and Swansea are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$445,000±$19kHighest 21% below MA	$427,500±$19kLowest 24% below MA
	Swansea and Charlton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,226±$84Lowest 30% below MA	$1,381±$415Highest 22% below MA
	Charlton and Swansea are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,846Highest 19% below MA	$4,617Lowest 23% below MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	58.1%±17.8Highest MA: 51.8%	41.3%±9.3Lowest MA: 51.8%
	Swansea and Charlton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	2.8%Highest MA: 10%	2.5%Lowest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	85.2%Highest MA: 62.5%	84.9%Lowest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1966Lowest 2 yrs newer than MA	1985Highest 21 yrs newer than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	26 minLowest 11% below MA	33 minHighest 13% above MA
Work from home	7.4%±2.3Lowest MA: 18.6%	13%±4.2Highest MA: 18.6%
	Charlton and Swansea 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	#131 of 282 in MA	#133 of 282 in MA
School district	Swansea	Dudley-Charlton Reg · Southern Worcester County Regional Vocational School Distric
High school in town	Joseph Case High	Bay Path Regional Vocational Technical High School
Students per teacherat that high school	11.0Highest	9.7Lowest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	None yet	None yet

MA 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.