Compare towns
Valley Falls vs Upton vs Johnston
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Valley Falls has the most renters (32.2% rent).
Upton has the most people working from home (22.8%).
Johnston has the most affordable homes ($356k 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 | Valley Falls | Upton | Johnston |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 12,657 |
8,189Lowest |
29,835Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+2.8%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 41.7±3.5Lowest 7% above U.S. |
46.4±4.8Highest 19% above U.S. |
44.5±2.5 14% above U.S. |
| Upton and Johnston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 25%±4.4Highest U.S.: 22% |
23.2%±4.5 U.S.: 22% |
17.5%±2.4Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Valley Falls and Upton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 16.6%±2.4Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.7%±4.9 U.S.: 17.2% |
22.1%±2.6Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Johnston and Upton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 29.1% U.S.: 35.7% |
53.5%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
28.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.3%±0.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.4%±1.3 U.S.: 6.4% |
6.1%±1.6Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $92,901±$17k 15% above U.S. |
$155,508±$33kHighest 93% above U.S. |
$91,866±$6kLowest 14% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $375,200±$19k 13% above U.S. |
$576,700±$41kHighest 73% above U.S. |
$355,500±$13kLowest 7% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,362±$142Highest 4% below U.S. |
$948±$599Lowest 33% below U.S. |
$1,275±$132 10% below U.S. |
| Valley Falls and Johnston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,397Lowest 41% above U.S. |
$8,376Highest 169% above U.S. |
$4,614 48% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 46.4%±17.7 U.S.: 51.1% |
52.8%±31Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
38.1%±8.7Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Upton and Valley Falls are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 4.1% U.S.: 12.5% |
3.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
7.9%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 67.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
86.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
75.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1963Lowest 17 yrs older than U.S. |
1981Highest 1 yr newer than U.S. |
1968 12 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 minLowest 12% below U.S. |
35 minHighest 34% above U.S. |
24 min 11% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 9.9%±4.4Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
22.8%±5.3Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
9.9%±2.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | #46 of 282 in MA | #32 of 38 in RI |
| School district | — | Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical · Mendon-Upton | Johnston |
| High school in town | — | Blackstone Valley | Johnston Senior High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 11.2Highest |
10.3Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.