What stands out worked out from the figures below

Webster has the most renters (54.5% rent).

Beacon Falls has the most people working from home (20.3%).

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	Webster	Beacon Falls
People
Population	12,228Highest	6,147Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+6.9% U.S.: +7.4%	—
Median age	37.2±2.1Lowest 4% below U.S.	48.4±3.8Highest 24% above U.S.
Kids under 18	21.8%±3.6Highest U.S.: 22%	18%±4.8Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Webster and Beacon Falls are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	15.7%±2.5Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	23.5%±4.4Highest U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	18.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	44.6%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	6%±1.8Highest U.S.: 6.4%	5.3%±3.2Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Webster and Beacon Falls are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$63,837±$8kLowest 21% below U.S.	$101,516±$42kHighest 26% above U.S.
	Beacon Falls and Webster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$333,100±$14kLowest about the U.S. average	$350,300±$34kHighest 5% above U.S.
	Beacon Falls and Webster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,198±$85Lowest 15% below U.S.	$1,921±$286Highest 36% above U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,234Lowest 4% above U.S.	$6,534Highest 109% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	46.1%±7.4Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	50.7%±30.4Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Beacon Falls and Webster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	16%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	2.1%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	45.5%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	85.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1954Lowest 26 yrs older than U.S.	1985Highest 5 yrs newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	28 minLowest 4% above U.S.	33 minHighest 24% above U.S.
Work from home	7.1%±2.9Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	20.3%±7.4Highest U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#271 of 282 in MA	#77 of 149 in CT
School district	—	Regional School District 16
High school in town	—	Woodland Regional High School
Students per teacherat that high school	—	11.2
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.