Compare towns
Athol vs Marion vs Wareham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Athol has the most affordable homes ($268k median).
Marion has the most people working from home (20.1%).
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 | Marion | Wareham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 12,011 |
5,310Lowest |
23,302Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.1%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+9%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+6.8% MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 41.3±1.9Lowest 3% above MA |
53.8±4Highest 35% above MA |
52.1±3.1 30% above MA |
| Marion and Wareham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 21.8%±3.2Highest MA: 19.4% |
16.7%±4.7 MA: 19.4% |
13.1%±2.4Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Athol and Marion are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.3%±2.3Lowest MA: 17.9% |
27.3%±5.7Highest MA: 17.9% |
26.2%±3.9 MA: 17.9% |
| Marion and Wareham 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 MA: 47.3% |
46.7%Highest MA: 47.3% |
27.1% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.6%±1.1Lowest MA: 7.9% |
7.7%±4.3Highest MA: 7.9% |
5.6%±1.5 MA: 7.9% |
| Marion and Wareham 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 33% below MA |
$143,092±$30kHighest 38% above MA |
$90,383±$11k 13% below MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $268,100±$13kLowest 52% below MA |
$653,500±$47kHighest 16% above MA |
$424,500±$21k 24% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,150±$182Lowest 35% below MA |
$1,176±$516 33% below MA |
$1,504±$180Highest 15% below MA |
| Wareham and Marion are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,403Lowest 43% below MA |
$5,766Highest 4% below MA |
$4,341 28% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 57.5%±17.2 MA: 51.8% |
75.8%±26.8Highest MA: 51.8% |
51.4%±23.3Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Marion 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 MA: 10% |
9% MA: 10% |
6.7%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 72.4%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
90.8%Highest MA: 62.5% |
83.5% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1953Lowest 11 yrs older than MA |
1962Highest 2 yrs older than MA |
1958 6 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 minLowest 8% below MA |
34 minHighest 15% above MA |
28 min 5% below MA |
| Work from home | 10.6%±3.3Lowest MA: 18.6% |
20.1%±8.3Highest MA: 18.6% |
12.4%±3.6 MA: 18.6% |
| Marion and Wareham 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 | #256 of 282 in MA | #141 of 282 in MA | #272 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Athol-Royalston | Marion | Wareham |
| High school in town | Athol High | None in town | Wareham Senior High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.6Highest |
— | 8.6Lowest |
| 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.