Compare towns
Athol vs Jericho vs Palmer Town
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Athol has grown the fastest since 2010 (+3.1%).
Jericho has the most people working from home (21.8%).
Palmer Town has the most renters (28.5% rent).
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 | Athol | Jericho | Palmer Town |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 12,011 |
5,114Lowest |
12,381Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+1.9%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+2.5% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 41.3±1.9Lowest 6% above U.S. |
49.7±5.1Highest 28% above U.S. |
47.8±5.6 23% above U.S. |
| Jericho and Palmer Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 21.8%±3.2Highest U.S.: 22% |
19.5%±4.2 U.S.: 22% |
15.1%±3.1Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Athol and Jericho are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.3%±2.3Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.2%±4.4 U.S.: 17.2% |
20.9%±4.2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Palmer Town and Jericho are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 20.4%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
65.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
23.5% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.6%±1.1Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.4%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.4%±1.5 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Athol and Palmer Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $69,316±$5kLowest 14% below U.S. |
$116,923±$16kHighest 45% above U.S. |
$78,480±$8k about the U.S. average |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $268,100±$13kLowest 19% below U.S. |
$493,100±$38kHighest 48% above U.S. |
$271,400±$21k 18% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,150±$182 19% below U.S. |
$1,731±$111Highest 23% above U.S. |
$1,075±$103Lowest 24% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,403Lowest 9% above U.S. |
$7,318Highest 135% above U.S. |
$4,540 46% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 57.5%±17.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
79.3%±52.9Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
52.9%±10.6Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Jericho and Athol are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 16.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
0.9%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
8.3% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 72.4% U.S.: 65.2% |
92.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
71.5%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1953Lowest 27 yrs older than U.S. |
1983Highest 3 yrs newer than U.S. |
1962 18 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 min about the U.S. average |
26 minLowest about the U.S. average |
31 minHighest 19% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 10.6%±3.3 U.S.: 15.1% |
21.8%±6.4Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
7.3%±2.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #256 of 282 in MA | #6 of 70 in VT | #252 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Athol-Royalston | Mount Mansfield Unified Union School District #401 | Palmer · Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical |
| High school in town | Athol High | Mt. Mansfield Union High School | Pathfinder Vocational Technical |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.6 |
13.0Highest |
9.9Lowest |
| 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.