What stands out worked out from the figures below

Upton has the highest household income ($156k).

Stowe has grown the fastest since 2010 (+21.1%).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Upton	Stowe
People
Population	8,189Highest	5,285Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+6.1%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+21.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	46.4±4.8Highest 19% above U.S.	46.3±7.6Lowest 19% above U.S.
	Upton and Stowe are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	23.2%±4.5Highest U.S.: 22%	22.5%±4.6Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Upton and Stowe are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	20.7%±4.9Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	25.8%±6.2Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Stowe 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%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	66.7%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.4%±1.3Highest U.S.: 6.4%	1.6%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Upton and Stowe 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 93% above U.S.	$93,618±$33kLowest 16% above U.S.
	Upton and Stowe are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$576,700±$41kLowest 73% above U.S.	$647,800±$157kHighest 95% above U.S.
	Stowe and Upton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$948±$599Lowest 33% below U.S.	$1,458±$242Highest 3% above U.S.
	Stowe and Upton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$8,376Highest 169% above U.S.	$7,161Lowest 130% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	52.8%±31Highest U.S.: 51.1%	24.5%±15.9Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Upton and Stowe are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	3.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	9.9%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	86.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	78.6%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1981Lowest 1 yr newer than U.S.	1982Highest 2 yrs newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	35 minHighest 34% above U.S.	19 minLowest 27% below U.S.
Work from home	22.8%±5.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	24.4%±8.9Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Stowe 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	—
School district	Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical · Mendon-Upton	Stowe Town School District
High school in town	Blackstone Valley	Stowe High School
Students per teacherat that high school	11.2Lowest	11.3Highest
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.