Compare towns
Athol vs Sutton vs Ware 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 kids (21.8% under 18).
Sutton has the highest household income ($147k).
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 | Sutton | Ware | Palmer Town |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 12,011 |
9,452Lowest |
10,048 |
12,381Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.1% MA: +7.4% |
+4.4%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+2%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+2.5% MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 41.3±1.9Lowest 3% above MA |
44.3±2.5 11% above MA |
43.1±4.7 8% above MA |
47.8±5.6Highest 20% above MA |
| Palmer Town and Sutton 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% |
19.6%±3.3 MA: 19.4% |
19.1%±3.5 MA: 19.4% |
15.1%±3.1Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Athol and Sutton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 19.3%±2.3 MA: 17.9% |
18.8%±3.2Lowest MA: 17.9% |
20.6%±3.4 MA: 17.9% |
20.9%±4.2Highest MA: 17.9% |
| Palmer Town and Ware 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% |
52.8%Highest MA: 47.3% |
24% MA: 47.3% |
23.5% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.6%±1.1 MA: 7.9% |
3.9%±1.8 MA: 7.9% |
4.4%±2.2Highest MA: 7.9% |
3.4%±1.5Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| Ware and Sutton 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 |
$147,125±$25kHighest 42% above MA |
$67,475±$15kLowest 35% below MA |
$78,480±$8k 25% below MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $268,100±$13kLowest 52% below MA |
$523,100±$47kHighest 7% below MA |
$289,700±$28k 48% below MA |
$271,400±$21k 52% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,150±$182 35% below MA |
$1,190±$401Highest 32% below MA |
$1,043±$109Lowest 41% below MA |
$1,075±$103 39% below MA |
| Sutton and Athol 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 |
$6,763Highest 13% above MA |
$4,237 29% below MA |
$4,540 24% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 57.5%±17.2 MA: 51.8% |
47.5%±24.4Lowest MA: 51.8% |
64.3%±16.2Highest MA: 51.8% |
52.9%±10.6 MA: 51.8% |
| Ware 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% |
5.8%Lowest MA: 10% |
11.8% MA: 10% |
8.3% MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 72.4% MA: 62.5% |
89.7%Highest MA: 62.5% |
72.3% MA: 62.5% |
71.5%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1953Lowest 11 yrs older than MA |
1981Highest 17 yrs newer than MA |
1960 4 yrs older than MA |
1962 2 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 27 minLowest 8% below MA |
30 min about the MA average |
28 min about the MA average |
31 minHighest 8% above MA |
| Work from home | 10.6%±3.3 MA: 18.6% |
22.7%±4.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
12.3%±3.8 MA: 18.6% |
7.3%±2.7Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #256 of 282 in MA | #105 of 282 in MA | #267 of 282 in MA | #252 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Athol-Royalston | Sutton | Ware | Palmer · Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical |
| High school in town | Athol High | Sutton High School | Ware Junior/Senior High School | Pathfinder Vocational Technical |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.6 |
12.6Highest |
11.1 |
9.9Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.