What stands out worked out from the figures below

West Haven has the most affordable homes ($292k median).

Upton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.1%).

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	West Haven	Upton
People
Population	55,351Highest	8,189Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	0%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+6.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	35.8±1.5Lowest 8% below U.S.	46.4±4.8Highest 19% above U.S.
Kids under 18	20.3%±1.9Lowest U.S.: 22%	23.2%±4.5Highest U.S.: 22%
	Upton and West Haven are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	16%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	20.7%±4.9Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Upton and West Haven are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	30.5%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	53.5%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	13.6%±1.6Highest U.S.: 6.4%	2.4%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$74,382±$5kLowest 8% below U.S.	$155,508±$33kHighest 93% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$291,700±$9kLowest 12% below U.S.	$576,700±$41kHighest 73% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,442±$43Highest about the U.S. average	$948±$599Lowest 33% below U.S.
	West Haven and Upton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$6,941Lowest 123% above U.S.	$8,376Highest 169% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	53.4%±5.8Highest U.S.: 51.1%	52.8%±31Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	West Haven and Upton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	14.1%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	3.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	50.6%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	86.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1959Lowest 21 yrs older than U.S.	1981Highest 1 yr newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	23 minLowest 13% below U.S.	35 minHighest 34% above U.S.
Work from home	9.2%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	22.8%±5.3Highest U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#120 of 149 in CT	#46 of 282 in MA
School district	New Haven School District · West Haven School District	Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical · Mendon-Upton
High school in town	West Haven High School	Blackstone Valley
Students per teacherat that high school	15.6Highest	11.2Lowest
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.