Compare towns
Woburn vs Windham vs Reading
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Woburn has the most renters (44.3% rent).
Windham has the most affordable homes ($389k median).
Reading has the most people working from home (30.2%).
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 | Woburn | Windham | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 41,939Highest |
19,188Lowest |
25,612 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.2% U.S.: +7.4% |
+8.4%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+3.1%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 39.3±1.6Lowest about the U.S. average |
41.8±1.8 7% above U.S. |
43.7±2.3Highest 12% above U.S. |
| Reading and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 17.9%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 22% |
19.2%±2.7 U.S.: 22% |
22.8%±2.2Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Reading and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 15.7%±1.5Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
15.9%±2.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
20.7%±2.3Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 46.5% U.S.: 35.7% |
44.2%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
66.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.1%±1.1Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.9%±1.1 U.S.: 6.4% |
2.9%±0.7Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Woburn and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $111,185±$9k 38% above U.S. |
$107,934±$14kLowest 34% above U.S. |
$165,912±$13kHighest 106% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $673,500±$17k 102% above U.S. |
$388,900±$22kLowest 17% above U.S. |
$809,000±$22kHighest 143% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,221±$77Highest 57% above U.S. |
$1,232±$332Lowest 13% below U.S. |
$1,991±$273 41% above U.S. |
| Woburn and Reading are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,354 72% above U.S. |
$3,938Lowest 26% above U.S. |
$9,320Highest 199% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 55.5%±7.5Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
32.7%±14.7 U.S.: 51.1% |
27.8%±9.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Below poverty line | 7.9%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
3.4% U.S.: 12.5% |
3.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 55.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
84.6%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
82.4% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1968 12 yrs older than U.S. |
1985Highest 5 yrs newer than U.S. |
1960Lowest 20 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 25 minLowest 4% below U.S. |
26 min about the U.S. average |
31 minHighest 17% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 16%±2.6Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
19%±4.1 U.S.: 15.1% |
30.2%±4.1Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #169 of 282 in MA | #95 of 133 in ME | #50 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Woburn | RSU 14 | Reading |
| High school in town | Woburn High | Windham High School | Reading Memorial High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.2Lowest |
12.1Highest |
12.1Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.