What stands out worked out from the figures below

Winchendon has the most affordable homes ($324k median).

Douglas has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6%).

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	Winchendon	Douglas
People
Population	10,440Highest	9,207Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+0.6%Lowest MA: +7.4%	+6%Highest MA: +7.4%
Median age	39.6±1.9Lowest about the MA average	44±2.6Highest 10% above MA
	Douglas and Winchendon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	21.8%±3.9Highest MA: 19.4%	21.2%±3.8Lowest MA: 19.4%
	Winchendon and Douglas are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	16.9%±2.7Highest MA: 17.9%	15.4%±3.1Lowest MA: 17.9%
	Winchendon and Douglas are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	21.4%Lowest MA: 47.3%	41.7%Highest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4.5%±1.5Lowest MA: 7.9%	5.4%±2.3Highest MA: 7.9%
	Douglas and Winchendon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$75,690±$14kLowest 27% below MA	$152,267±$10kHighest 46% above MA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$323,800±$19kLowest 42% below MA	$470,600±$29kHighest 16% below MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,255±$163Lowest 29% below MA	$1,503±$697Highest 15% below MA
	Douglas and Winchendon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,780Lowest 37% below MA	$6,338Highest 6% above MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	61.7%±17.6Highest MA: 51.8%	33.9%±17.4Lowest MA: 51.8%
	Winchendon and Douglas are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	18.5%Highest MA: 10%	4.8%Lowest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	76.6%Lowest MA: 62.5%	83.8%Highest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1981Lowest 17 yrs newer than MA	1986Highest 22 yrs newer than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	32 minLowest 11% above MA	34 minHighest 16% above MA
Work from home	11.2%±3.1Lowest MA: 18.6%	20.9%±4.9Highest MA: 18.6%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#269 of 282 in MA	#177 of 282 in MA
School district	Winchendon	Douglas
High school in town	Murdock High School	Douglas High School
Students per teacherat that high school	11.3Highest	7.2Lowest
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.