Compare towns
Willington vs Ayer vs Ashford
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Willington has the shortest commute (26 min average).
Ayer has the most expensive homes ($464k median).
Ashford has the highest household income ($122k).
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 | Willington | Ayer | Ashford |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 5,575 |
8,645Highest |
4,226Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +14.2% U.S.: +7.4% |
— |
| Median age | 37.5±7.2Lowest 4% below U.S. |
39.2±2.8Highest about the U.S. average |
37.9±10.3 about the U.S. average |
| Ayer and Ashford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 12.8%±4.9Lowest U.S.: 22% |
20.3%±3.9Highest U.S.: 22% |
18.5%±5.5 U.S.: 22% |
| Ayer and Ashford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 23.3%±6.4Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
14.5%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
18.9%±3.7 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Willington and Ashford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 33.2%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
42.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
35.3% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 14.6%±6.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.5%±1.5 U.S.: 6.4% |
4.4%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $91,114±$12kLowest 13% above U.S. |
$101,875±$15k 26% above U.S. |
$121,926±$23kHighest 51% above U.S. |
| Ashford and Ayer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $305,800±$48kLowest 8% below U.S. |
$463,800±$29kHighest 39% above U.S. |
$334,800±$18k about the U.S. average |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,357±$116 4% below U.S. |
$1,415±$180Highest about the U.S. average |
$1,246±$208Lowest 12% below U.S. |
| Ayer and Willington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,419 74% above U.S. |
$5,057Lowest 62% above U.S. |
$6,982Highest 124% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 70%±20.6Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
45.1%±14.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
47%±26 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Willington and Ashford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 13%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
10.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
5.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
69.2% U.S.: 65.2% |
76.8%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976Lowest 4 yrs older than U.S. |
1977 3 yrs older than U.S. |
1982Highest 2 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minLowest about the U.S. average |
33 min 25% above U.S. |
34 minHighest 30% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 10.5%±4.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
21.6%±5.9Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
19.3%±5.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Ayer and Ashford 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 | #104 of 149 in CT | #113 of 282 in MA | #90 of 149 in CT |
| School district | Willington School District | Ayer Shirley School District | Ashford School District |
| High school in town | None in town | Ayer Shirley Regional High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 11.5 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 12 photos → | 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.