Compare towns
Andover vs Fall River vs Lawrence vs Mapleton
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Andover has the most people working from home (30.4%).
Fall River has the oldest housing (typical home built 1945).
Lawrence has grown the fastest since 2010 (+16.7%).
Mapleton has the most affordable homes ($192k 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.
| Measure | Andover | Fall River | Lawrence | Mapleton |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 36,652 |
94,082Highest |
88,736 |
1,884Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +10.1% U.S.: +7.4% |
+5.8% U.S.: +7.4% |
+16.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
-3.2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 42.9±1Highest 10% above U.S. |
39.3±1.2 about the U.S. average |
32.6±0.9Lowest 16% below U.S. |
41.8±6 7% above U.S. |
| Andover and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 23.6%±1.8 U.S.: 22% |
19.9%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 22% |
26.3%±1.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
22.2%±5.1 U.S.: 22% |
| Lawrence and Andover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 16%±1.3 U.S.: 17.2% |
16.1%±0.9 U.S.: 17.2% |
10.5%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
18.3%±3.1Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Mapleton and Fall River are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 75.6%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
16.4%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
16.8% U.S.: 35.7% |
34.3% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 8.1%±0.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.1%±0.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.4%±0.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
5%±2.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $172,606±$16kHighest 114% above U.S. |
$56,673±$3kLowest 30% below U.S. |
$60,433±$3k 25% below U.S. |
$91,731±$25k 14% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $855,600±$22kHighest 157% above U.S. |
$395,500±$11k 19% above U.S. |
$415,200±$23k 25% above U.S. |
$191,800±$23kLowest 42% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,201±$129Highest 56% above U.S. |
$1,155±$27 18% below U.S. |
$1,662±$50 18% above U.S. |
$610±$277Lowest 57% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $10,000+Highest at least 221% above U.S. |
$3,953 27% above U.S. |
$3,422 10% above U.S. |
$1,789Lowest 43% below U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 39.7%±7.7 U.S.: 51.1% |
52.5%±3.3 U.S.: 51.1% |
60.6%±3.6Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
16.7%±10.5Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Below poverty line | 2.9%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
19.6%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
17.6% U.S.: 12.5% |
8.9% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
35.3% U.S.: 65.2% |
28.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
79.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1973 7 yrs older than U.S. |
1945Lowest 35 yrs older than U.S. |
1950 30 yrs older than U.S. |
1977Highest 3 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 10% above U.S. |
26 min about the U.S. average |
23 minLowest 13% below U.S. |
28 min 5% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 30.4%±2.1Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
7.1%±1.2 U.S.: 15.1% |
6.8%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
10.8%±3.8 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #68 of 282 in MA | #262 of 282 in MA | #278 of 282 in MA | — |
| School district | Andover · Greater Lawrence Regional Vocational Technical | Fall River · Greater Fall River Regional Vocational Technical | Lawrence | RSU 79/MSAD 01 |
| High school in town | Gr Lawrence Regional Vocational Technical | B M C Durfee High | Lawrence High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.8 |
11.3Lowest |
13.6Highest |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.