Compare towns
Thomaston vs Northbridge vs Watertown
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Thomaston has the most affordable homes ($283k median).
Northbridge has the most people working from home (16.2%).
Watertown has the shortest commute (24 min average).
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 | Thomaston | Northbridge | Watertown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 7,492Lowest |
16,458 |
22,253Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +4% U.S.: +7.4% |
— |
| Median age | 41.5±7.7Lowest 7% above U.S. |
43.8±2.6 13% above U.S. |
46.3±2.9Highest 19% above U.S. |
| Watertown and Northbridge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 20.5%±5.2 U.S.: 22% |
21.1%±2.9Highest U.S.: 22% |
17.7%±2.6Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Northbridge and Thomaston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 18.6%±3.6 U.S.: 17.2% |
16.4%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
23.3%±2.8Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Watertown and Thomaston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 34%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
36.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
38.6%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2.1Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.3%±1.3 U.S.: 6.4% |
4.2%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Thomaston and Northbridge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $103,218±$15k 28% above U.S. |
$111,319±$19kHighest 38% above U.S. |
$101,691±$7kLowest 26% above U.S. |
| Northbridge and Thomaston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $282,600±$23kLowest 15% below U.S. |
$448,600±$15kHighest 35% above U.S. |
$333,500±$16k about the U.S. average |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,037±$147Lowest 27% below U.S. |
$1,207±$102 15% below U.S. |
$1,275±$227Highest 10% below U.S. |
| Watertown and Northbridge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,915 90% above U.S. |
$4,821Lowest 55% above U.S. |
$6,014Highest 93% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 57.9%±22Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
51.2%±9.8Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
56.6%±13.3 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Thomaston and Watertown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 2.3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
7.9%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
4.3% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 77.7% U.S.: 65.2% |
70.5%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
83.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1961Lowest 19 yrs older than U.S. |
1973Highest 7 yrs older than U.S. |
1969 11 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 min about the U.S. average |
31 minHighest 17% above U.S. |
24 minLowest 9% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 7.6%±3.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
16.2%±3.6Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
10.1%±2.3 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #106 of 149 in CT | #226 of 282 in MA | #126 of 149 in CT |
| School district | Thomaston School District | Northbridge | Watertown School District |
| High school in town | Thomaston High School | Northbridge High | Watertown High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.7 |
10.8Highest |
10.6Lowest |
| 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.