What stands out worked out from the figures below

Windham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+16.4%).

Charlton has the most affordable homes ($428k median).

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	Windham	Charlton
People
Population	16,038Highest	13,435Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+16.4%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	+2.6%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	41.1±2.9Lowest 6% above U.S.	43±4Highest 11% above U.S.
	Charlton and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	27.4%±3.3Highest U.S.: 22%	24.7%±3.9Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Windham and Charlton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	15.5%±2.6Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	18%±2.8Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Charlton and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	62.7%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	37.6%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.8%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	6.8%±2.6Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Charlton and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$189,583±$19kHighest 135% above U.S.	$117,587±$8kLowest 46% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$723,300±$50kHighest 117% above U.S.	$427,500±$19kLowest 28% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$3,218±$350Highest 128% above U.S.	$1,381±$415Lowest about the U.S. average
Property taxmedian, yearly	$10,000+Highest at least 221% above U.S.	$4,617Lowest 48% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	52.2%±50.9Highest U.S.: 51.1%	41.3%±9.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Windham and Charlton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	2.5%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	93.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	84.9%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1996Highest 16 yrs newer than U.S.	1985Lowest 5 yrs newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	31 minLowest 17% above U.S.	33 minHighest 24% above U.S.
Work from home	21.9%±4.4Highest U.S.: 15.1%	13%±4.2Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#13 of 120 in NH	#133 of 282 in MA
School district	Windham School District	Dudley-Charlton Reg · Southern Worcester County Regional Vocational School Distric
High school in town	Windham High School	Bay Path Regional Vocational Technical High School
Students per teacherat that high school	12.8Highest	9.7Lowest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.