What stands out worked out from the figures below

Thompson has the most affordable homes ($292k median).

Marion has the most expensive homes ($654k 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	Thompson	Marion
People
Population	9,337Highest	5,310Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	—	+9% U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	54.1±2.2Highest 39% above U.S.	53.8±4Lowest 38% above U.S.
	Thompson and Marion are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	11.4%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 22%	16.7%±4.7Highest U.S.: 22%
	Marion and Thompson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	24.4%±4.3Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	27.3%±5.7Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Marion and Thompson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	21.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	46.7%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.9%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	7.7%±4.3Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Marion and Thompson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$93,629±$18kLowest 16% above U.S.	$143,092±$30kHighest 77% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$291,900±$24kLowest 12% below U.S.	$653,500±$47kHighest 96% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,012±$344Lowest 28% below U.S.	$1,176±$516Highest 17% below U.S.
	Marion and Thompson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,822Lowest 23% above U.S.	$5,766Highest 85% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	54%±18.7Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	75.8%±26.8Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Marion and Thompson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	5.9%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	9%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	84.3%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	90.8%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1963Highest 17 yrs older than U.S.	1962Lowest 18 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	32 minLowest 20% above U.S.	34 minHighest 27% above U.S.
Work from home	13.1%±4.4Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	20.1%±8.3Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Marion and Thompson 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	#130 of 149 in CT	#141 of 282 in MA
School district	Thompson School District	Marion
High school in town	Tourtellotte Memorial High School	None in town
Students per teacherat that high school	7.9	—
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.