Gardner vs Winchendon
The prices are within about $25k of each other, so schools break the tie: Winchendon is ahead — 11th percentile on MCAS against 5th.
Gardner is about 5 minutes closer to downtown Boston at peak. Over a decade of commuting that gap is worth more than most people price it at.
Choose Gardner if the commute matters most.
All Gardner numbers →Choose Winchendon if you want the stronger schools of the two, or you want the lower price.
All Winchendon numbers →Side by side
The better of the two is highlighted on each row. Where a row is not highlighted, the two are close enough that calling a winner would be false precision.
| Gardner | Winchendon | |
|---|---|---|
| School tier | mixed schoolsT4 | mixed schoolsT4 |
| MCAS percentile | 5th | 11th |
| Niche district rank | — | — |
| 4BR house | $400kT1 | $375kT1 |
| 2BR condo | $225k | $215k |
| Commute to Boston | 88 minT4 | 93 minT4 |
| MBTA rail | No MBTA rail | No MBTA rail |
| Tax rate | $13.77T3 | $15.50T4 |
| Est. tax bill on that 4BR | ≈$5,500 | ≈$5,800 |
| 3BR rent | $2,533/mo | $2,200/mo |
Prices are estimates calibrated to the Zillow Home Value Index and Redfin; tax rates are FY2026 residential rates and the bill applies that rate to the town’s own median 4BR estimate; commutes take the rail leg from the MBTA timetable and still model the drive; rents are HUD FY2026 Small Area Fair Market Rents. School tiers are editorial and shown next to the state’s own MCAS figures. Data last reviewed — see the methodology. This comparison never uses demographics as an input.
