Compare towns
Athol vs Orange vs Palmer Town
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 people working from home (10.6%).
Orange has the most affordable homes ($246k median).
Palmer Town has the oldest population (median age 47.8).
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 | Orange | Palmer Town |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 12,011 |
7,573Lowest |
12,381Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.1%Highest MA: +7.4% |
-3.4%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+2.5% MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 41.3±1.9Lowest 3% above MA |
41.8±2.2 4% above MA |
47.8±5.6Highest 20% above MA |
| Palmer Town and Orange are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 21.8%±3.2 MA: 19.4% |
22.2%±3.8Highest MA: 19.4% |
15.1%±3.1Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Orange and Athol 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% |
20.3%±3.1 MA: 17.9% |
20.9%±4.2Highest MA: 17.9% |
| Palmer Town and Orange are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 20.4% MA: 47.3% |
15.7%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
23.5%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.6%±1.1Highest MA: 7.9% |
2%±0.9Lowest MA: 7.9% |
3.4%±1.5 MA: 7.9% |
| 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±$5k 33% below MA |
$55,824±$10kLowest 46% below MA |
$78,480±$8kHighest 25% below MA |
| Palmer Town and Athol are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $268,100±$13k 52% below MA |
$245,900±$18kLowest 56% below MA |
$271,400±$21kHighest 52% below MA |
| Palmer Town and Athol are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,150±$182Highest 35% below MA |
$775±$233Lowest 56% below MA |
$1,075±$103 39% below MA |
| Athol and Palmer Town 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 |
$4,136 31% below MA |
$4,540Highest 24% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 57.5%±17.2Highest MA: 51.8% |
41%±11.9Lowest MA: 51.8% |
52.9%±10.6 MA: 51.8% |
| Athol and Palmer Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 16.3% MA: 10% |
22.4%Highest MA: 10% |
8.3%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 72.4%Highest MA: 62.5% |
70%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
71.5% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1953Lowest 11 yrs older than MA |
1966Highest 2 yrs newer than MA |
1962 2 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 minLowest 8% below MA |
33 minHighest 13% above MA |
31 min 8% above MA |
| Work from home | 10.6%±3.3Highest MA: 18.6% |
6.6%±2.8Lowest MA: 18.6% |
7.3%±2.7 MA: 18.6% |
| Athol and Palmer Town 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 | #275 of 282 in MA | #252 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Athol-Royalston | Orange · Ralph C Mahar | Palmer · Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical |
| High school in town | Athol High | Ralph C Mahar Regional | Pathfinder Vocational Technical |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.6Highest |
9.0Lowest |
9.9 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.