Compare towns
Upton vs Scituate vs Northbridge
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Upton has the highest household income ($156k).
Scituate has the most expensive homes ($822k median).
Northbridge has the most affordable homes ($449k 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.
| Measure | Upton | Scituate | Northbridge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,189 |
5,796Lowest |
16,458Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.1% MA: +7.4% |
+7.1%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+4%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 46.4±4.8 16% above MA |
51.7±3.8Highest 29% above MA |
43.8±2.6Lowest 9% above MA |
| Scituate and Upton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 23.2%±4.5Highest MA: 19.4% |
22.1%±4.8 MA: 19.4% |
21.1%±2.9Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Upton and Scituate are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 20.7%±4.9 MA: 17.9% |
27.3%±5Highest MA: 17.9% |
16.4%±2.1Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Scituate and Upton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 53.5% MA: 47.3% |
64.7%Highest MA: 47.3% |
36.9%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.4%±1.3Lowest MA: 7.9% |
3.1%±1.5 MA: 7.9% |
4.3%±1.3Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Northbridge and Scituate are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $155,508±$33kHighest 50% above MA |
$124,549±$27k 20% above MA |
$111,319±$19kLowest 7% above MA |
| Upton and Scituate are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $576,700±$41k about the MA average |
$821,600±$82kHighest 46% above MA |
$448,600±$15kLowest 20% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $948±$599 46% below MA |
$884±$721Lowest 50% below MA |
$1,207±$102Highest 31% below MA |
| Northbridge and Upton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $8,376Highest 40% above MA |
$8,345 39% above MA |
$4,821Lowest 20% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52.8%±31Highest MA: 51.8% |
46.4%±8Lowest MA: 51.8% |
51.2%±9.8 MA: 51.8% |
| Upton and Northbridge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 3.2%Lowest MA: 10% |
3.4% MA: 10% |
7.9%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 86.7%Highest MA: 62.5% |
83% MA: 62.5% |
70.5%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1981Highest 17 yrs newer than MA |
1962Lowest 2 yrs older than MA |
1973 9 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 35 min 22% above MA |
42 minHighest 44% above MA |
31 minLowest 7% above MA |
| Work from home | 22.8%±5.3 MA: 18.6% |
26.6%±4.7Highest MA: 18.6% |
16.2%±3.6Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Scituate and Upton 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 | #46 of 282 in MA | #43 of 282 in MA | #226 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical · Mendon-Upton | — | Northbridge |
| High school in town | Blackstone Valley | — | Northbridge High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.2Highest |
— | 10.8Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.