Compare towns
Amesbury vs Ware vs Merrimac
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Amesbury has the most people working from home (17.4%).
Ware has the most affordable homes ($290k median).
Merrimac has the highest household income ($123k).
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 | Amesbury | Ware | Merrimac |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 17,403Highest |
10,048 |
6,748Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +2%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+6.1%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 43.7±1.7 9% above MA |
43.1±4.7Lowest 8% above MA |
49.4±6.8Highest 24% above MA |
| Merrimac and Amesbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 20%±2.4Highest MA: 19.4% |
19.1%±3.5 MA: 19.4% |
16.5%±6.2Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Amesbury and Ware are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 18.2%±2.1Lowest MA: 17.9% |
20.6%±3.4 MA: 17.9% |
26.7%±5.8Highest MA: 17.9% |
| Merrimac and Ware are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.8%Highest MA: 47.3% |
24%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
41% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±1.3 MA: 7.9% |
4.4%±2.2Highest MA: 7.9% |
2.1%±1.3Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| Ware and Amesbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $103,554±$12k about the MA average |
$67,475±$15kLowest 35% below MA |
$123,054±$16kHighest 18% above MA |
| Merrimac and Amesbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $519,300±$32k 8% below MA |
$289,700±$28kLowest 48% below MA |
$553,400±$38kHighest about the MA average |
| Merrimac and Amesbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,683±$115Highest 4% below MA |
$1,043±$109Lowest 41% below MA |
$1,352±$325 23% below MA |
| Amesbury and Merrimac are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $7,360 23% above MA |
$4,237Lowest 29% below MA |
$7,399Highest 23% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 66.7%±10.7Highest MA: 51.8% |
64.3%±16.2 MA: 51.8% |
59.3%±29.1Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Amesbury and Ware are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.1%Lowest MA: 10% |
11.8%Highest MA: 10% |
9.4% MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 68.6%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
72.3% MA: 62.5% |
81.3%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1969 5 yrs newer than MA |
1960Lowest 4 yrs older than MA |
1982Highest 18 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min about the MA average |
28 minLowest about the MA average |
32 minHighest 10% above MA |
| Work from home | 17.4%±2.8Highest MA: 18.6% |
12.3%±3.8 MA: 18.6% |
8.5%±3.4Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Amesbury and Ware 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 | #151 of 282 in MA | #267 of 282 in MA | #188 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Amesbury | Ware | Pentucket |
| High school in town | Amesbury High | Ware Junior/Senior High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.9Lowest |
11.1Highest |
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| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet |
MA 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.