What stands out worked out from the figures below

Westford has grown the fastest since 2010 (+12.3%).

Sharon has the most people working from home (31.5%).

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	Westford	Sharon
People
Population	24,690Highest	18,574Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+12.3%Highest MA: +7.4%	+5.5%Lowest MA: +7.4%
Median age	42.8±1.2Highest 7% above MA	42.5±1Lowest 6% above MA
	Westford and Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	25.6%±2.4Lowest MA: 19.4%	27.2%±2.8Highest MA: 19.4%
	Sharon and Westford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	14.6%±1.9Lowest MA: 17.9%	17.6%±2.4Highest MA: 17.9%
	Sharon and Westford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	73.9%Lowest MA: 47.3%	76.7%Highest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.3%±1.1Highest MA: 7.9%	5%±1.2Lowest MA: 7.9%
	Westford and Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$187,198±$10kLowest 80% above MA	$191,835±$19kHighest 85% above MA
	Sharon and Westford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$748,500±$32kHighest 33% above MA	$737,100±$33kLowest 31% above MA
	Westford and Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$2,436±$422Highest 38% above MA	$2,310±$345Lowest 31% above MA
	Westford and Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$9,695Lowest 62% above MA	$10,000+Highest at least 67% above MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	53%±8Highest MA: 51.8%	49%±16.2Lowest MA: 51.8%
	Westford and Sharon 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%	3.8%Highest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	85.9%Lowest MA: 62.5%	87.7%Highest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1983Highest 19 yrs newer than MA	1970Lowest 6 yrs newer than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	31 minLowest 6% above MA	39 minHighest 33% above MA
Work from home	27%±2.9Lowest MA: 18.6%	31.5%±4.3Highest MA: 18.6%
	Sharon and Westford 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	#20 of 282 in MA	#23 of 282 in MA
School district	Nashoba Valley Regional Vocational Technical · Westford	Sharon
High school in town	Westford Academy	Sharon High
Students per teacherat that high school	14.7Highest	11.9Lowest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.