Compare towns
Townsend vs Walpole vs Westminster
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Townsend has the highest household income ($122k).
Walpole has the shortest commute (23 min average).
Westminster has the most people working from home (23.1%).
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 | Townsend | Walpole | Westminster |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 9,100Highest |
3,690 |
497Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
-2.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
— |
| Median age | 40.9±3.3Lowest 5% above U.S. |
46.5±10.4Highest 20% above U.S. |
43.3±11.5 11% above U.S. |
| Walpole and Westminster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 21%±3.2Lowest U.S.: 22% |
22.2%±5.2 U.S.: 22% |
28.4%±7.1Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Westminster and Walpole are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 17.1%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
25.5%±5.4Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
19.7%±11.4 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Walpole and Westminster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 35.5% U.S.: 35.7% |
32.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
45.4%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.1%±2.4Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4%±2.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
2.2%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Townsend and Walpole are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $121,528±$23kHighest 51% above U.S. |
$82,617±$16k about the U.S. average |
$81,000±$22kLowest about the U.S. average |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $433,200±$22kHighest 30% above U.S. |
$319,800±$48k 4% below U.S. |
$313,600±$39kLowest 6% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,469±$313Highest 4% above U.S. |
$1,165±$150 18% below U.S. |
$749±$315Lowest 47% below U.S. |
| Townsend and Walpole are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,031 93% above U.S. |
$6,078Highest 95% above U.S. |
$4,480Lowest 44% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 50.6%±16.8 U.S.: 51.1% |
51.6%±21.9Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
6.1%±43.8Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Walpole and Townsend are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 8.9% U.S.: 12.5% |
11.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
2.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
69.9%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
80.1% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976Highest 4 yrs older than U.S. |
1967 13 yrs older than U.S. |
1938Lowest 42 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 37 minHighest 41% above U.S. |
23 minLowest 13% below U.S. |
30 min 13% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 10.5%±2.8 U.S.: 15.1% |
7.2%±4.9Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
23.1%±15.9Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Westminster and Townsend 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 | #136 of 282 in MA | #27 of 120 in NH | #53 of 70 in VT |
| School district | North Middlesex | Fall Mountain Regional School District | — |
| High school in town | North Middlesex Regional | None in town | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 13.1 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.