Compare towns
Temple vs Whitman vs Sharon
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Temple has the most people working from home (16.9%).
Whitman has the youngest population (median age 40.4).
Sharon has the most homeowners (93.1%).
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 | Temple | Whitman | Sharon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,363 |
15,295Highest |
442Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +1.2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+4.4%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
— |
| Median age | 49.5±7.3Highest 27% above U.S. |
40.4±1.8Lowest 4% above U.S. |
49.4±11.2 27% above U.S. |
| Temple and Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 14.3%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 22% |
21.1%±3.5 U.S.: 22% |
22.4%±8.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Sharon and Whitman are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 17.8%±2.8 U.S.: 17.2% |
15.5%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
31.4%±6.8Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 36.5% U.S.: 35.7% |
31.3%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
41.2%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.7%±1.1 U.S.: 6.4% |
5.1%±1.2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
1.6%±3Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $94,107±$15kLowest 17% above U.S. |
$108,933±$14k 35% above U.S. |
$113,125±$19kHighest 40% above U.S. |
| Sharon and Whitman are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $401,000±$27kLowest 21% above U.S. |
$472,700±$12k 42% above U.S. |
$475,900±$38kHighest 43% above U.S. |
| Sharon and Whitman are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,169±$523Lowest 17% below U.S. |
$1,771±$151Highest 25% above U.S. |
$1,458±$1k 3% above U.S. |
| Whitman and Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,983 124% above U.S. |
$5,824Lowest 87% above U.S. |
$8,274Highest 165% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 30.2%±54.1 U.S.: 51.1% |
61.9%±13.4Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
28.6%±100Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Whitman and Temple are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 9.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
7.9% U.S.: 12.5% |
6.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.2% U.S.: 65.2% |
71.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
93.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1982Highest 2 yrs newer than U.S. |
1957Lowest 23 yrs older than U.S. |
1979 1 yr older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 37 minHighest 39% above U.S. |
36 min 37% above U.S. |
32 minLowest 21% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 16.9%±5.6Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
10.8%±2.4Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
11.2%±4.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Temple and Sharon 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 | — | #191 of 282 in MA | — |
| School district | Contoocook Valley School District | Whitman-Hanson | — |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | — |
| 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.