What stands out worked out from the figures below

Townsend has the most homeowners (82%).

Boston has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.4%).

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	Townsend	Boston
People
Population	9,100Lowest	666,442Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+2.3%Lowest MA: +7.4%	+9.4%Highest MA: +7.4%
Median age	40.9±3.3Highest about the MA average	33.3±0.2Lowest 17% below MA
Kids under 18	21%±3.2Highest MA: 19.4%	15.1%±0.3Lowest MA: 19.4%
Age 65+	17.1%±2.1Highest MA: 17.9%	13%±0.3Lowest MA: 17.9%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	35.5%Lowest MA: 47.3%	54.9%Highest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.1%±2.4Lowest MA: 7.9%	15%±0.3Highest MA: 7.9%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$121,528±$23kHighest 17% above MA	$97,344±$2kLowest 6% below MA
	Townsend and Boston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$433,200±$22kLowest 23% below MA	$731,700±$10kHighest 30% above MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,469±$313Lowest 17% below MA	$2,147±$25Highest 22% above MA
Property taxmedian, yearly	$6,031Highest about the MA average	$4,456Lowest 26% below MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	50.6%±16.8Lowest MA: 51.8%	51.2%±1.2Highest MA: 51.8%
	Boston and Townsend are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	8.9%Lowest MA: 10%	16.6%Highest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	82%Highest MA: 62.5%	35.7%Lowest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1976Highest 12 yrs newer than MA	1947Lowest 17 yrs older than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	37 minHighest 27% above MA	30 minLowest 4% above MA
Work from home	10.5%±2.8Lowest MA: 18.6%	21.3%±0.5Highest MA: 18.6%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#136 of 282 in MA	#258 of 282 in MA
School district	North Middlesex	Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers: A Horace Mann · Boston
High school in town	North Middlesex Regional	Boston Latin School
Students per teacherat that high school	13.1Lowest	18.7Highest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.