What stands out worked out from the figures below

Windsor Locks has the most affordable homes ($259k median).

Topsfield has the most expensive homes ($853k 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	Windsor Locks	Topsfield
People
Population	12,579Highest	6,564Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	—	+8% U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	41.4±2.6Lowest 6% above U.S.	42.2±1.8Highest 8% above U.S.
	Topsfield and Windsor Locks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	18.6%±3.4Lowest U.S.: 22%	24.8%±4.7Highest U.S.: 22%
	Topsfield and Windsor Locks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	18.2%±2.7Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	22.4%±3.8Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Topsfield and Windsor Locks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	28.6%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	71.8%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.9%±1.8Highest U.S.: 6.4%	3.8%±1.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Windsor Locks and Topsfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$81,205±$13kLowest about the U.S. average	$195,718±$16kHighest 142% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$258,800±$14kLowest 22% below U.S.	$853,400±$40kHighest 157% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,394±$187Highest about the U.S. average	$1,115±$538Lowest 21% below U.S.
	Windsor Locks and Topsfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,688Lowest 18% above U.S.	$10,000+Highest at least 221% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	58.2%±16.8Highest U.S.: 51.1%	41.9%±40.8Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Windsor Locks and Topsfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	10.9%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	7.5%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	77.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	90.4%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1961Lowest 19 yrs older than U.S.	1969Highest 11 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	22 minLowest 17% below U.S.	28 minHighest 4% above U.S.
Work from home	17.7%±3.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	29.4%±8.1Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Topsfield and Windsor Locks 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	#109 of 149 in CT	#172 of 282 in MA
School district	Windsor Locks School District	Topsfield
High school in town	Windsor Locks High School	None in town
Students per teacherat that high school	8.9	—
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.