Compare towns
Athol vs Salisbury 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 the most kids (21.8% under 18).
Salisbury has the most expensive homes ($764k 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 | Salisbury | Palmer Town |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 12,011 |
4,224Lowest |
12,381Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
— | +2.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 41.3±1.9Lowest 6% above U.S. |
44.2±9.9 14% above U.S. |
47.8±5.6Highest 23% above U.S. |
| Palmer Town and Salisbury 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% |
19.2%±6.9 U.S.: 22% |
15.1%±3.1Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Athol and Salisbury 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% |
28.1%±5.1Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.9%±4.2 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Salisbury and Palmer Town 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% |
58.8%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
23.5% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.6%±1.1Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.9%±2.1Lowest 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. |
$124,256±$26kHighest 54% above U.S. |
$78,480±$8k about the U.S. average |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $268,100±$13kLowest 19% below U.S. |
$763,700±$121kHighest 130% above U.S. |
$271,400±$21k 18% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,150±$182 19% below U.S. |
$1,846±$736Highest 31% above U.S. |
$1,075±$103Lowest 24% below U.S. |
| Salisbury and Athol are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,403Lowest 9% above U.S. |
$5,125Highest 64% above U.S. |
$4,540 46% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 57.5%±17.2Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
23.2%±11.8Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
52.9%±10.6 U.S.: 51.1% |
| 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%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
4.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
8.3% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 72.4%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
68.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
71.5% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1953Lowest 27 yrs older than U.S. |
1967Highest 13 yrs older than U.S. |
1962 18 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 min about the U.S. average |
20 minLowest 25% below U.S. |
31 minHighest 19% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 10.6%±3.3 U.S.: 15.1% |
28%±8Highest 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 | #19 of 149 in CT | #252 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Athol-Royalston | Salisbury School District | Palmer · Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical |
| High school in town | Athol High | None in town | Pathfinder Vocational Technical |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.6Highest |
— | 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.