Town comparison · Massachusetts

Pepperell vs Townsend

MetroWest · MetroWest

Pepperell leads 3–2 on headline livability metrics

Across the six headline livability metrics (schools, safety, walkability, biking, affordability, and commute), Pepperell edges Townsend 3 to 2 with 1 tie. Median home prices are close, within $85k of each other. Pepperell is about 5 minutes closer to Boston by car at peak.

The two towns at a glance

Pepperell

MetroWest · pop. 11,700

Pepperell is mill-town Massachusetts at the northern 495 fringe, affordable, riverfront, and part of the North Middlesex Regional school district that serves Townsend and Ayer.

Default fit score

equal weights, 0–100

Full Pepperell profile →

Townsend

MetroWest · pop. 9,200

Townsend is the quiet half of the North Middlesex district, rural and affordable with a working-class character, sharing a high school with Pepperell in Townsend center.

Default fit score

equal weights, 0–100

Full Townsend profile →

Head-to-head: every metric

	Pepperell	Townsend
Headline
Livability index	47 ✦	46
Economics
Median home	$585k ✦	$500k
Household income	$124k ✦	$122k
Price ÷ income	4.7× ✦	4.1×
Tax burden	46	46
Schools & Safety
Schools	68	68
Safety	78	80 ✦
Getting around
Commute to Boston	65 min	70 min ✦
Walkability	25 ✦	22
Transit	22	22
Biking	20 ✦	18
Lifestyle
Dining	30 ✦	25
Nightlife	18 ✦	12
Arts & culture	18 ✦	15
Green space	48	52 ✦
Community
Diversity	18 ✦	15
Climate	72	72
5-yr trend	58 ✦	55

Clay = wins this metric. Direction matters: lower median home and shorter commute are better; everything else, higher is better.

Compare on your terms

These winners are based on a neutral, equal weighting of every metric. Your priorities are not neutral. Open Pepperell vs Townsend in the interactive atlas to tune schools, walkability, affordability, commute, and seven more dimensions, and watch the verdict change.

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About this comparison

Bay State Atlas ranks 194 Massachusetts towns using public data (Census ACS, MA DESE schools, Walk Score, MA Department of Revenue tax data, and the FBI UCR safety index) normalized to 0–100. Every weight is editable. This page is a static, indexable snapshot. The live tool is faster and lets you customize what counts.