Compare towns
Athol vs Ware vs Westminster
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 affordable homes ($268k median).
Ware has the most renters (27.7% rent).
Westminster has the most people working from home (23.1%).
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 | Ware | Westminster |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 12,011Highest |
10,048 |
497Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
— |
| Median age | 41.3±1.9Lowest 6% above U.S. |
43.1±4.7 11% above U.S. |
43.3±11.5Highest 11% above U.S. |
| Westminster and Ware are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 21.8%±3.2 U.S.: 22% |
19.1%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 22% |
28.4%±7.1Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Westminster 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 U.S.: 17.2% |
20.6%±3.4Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
19.7%±11.4 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Ware and Westminster 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% |
24% U.S.: 35.7% |
45.4%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.6%±1.1 U.S.: 6.4% |
4.4%±2.2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.2%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Ware and Athol 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 14% below U.S. |
$67,475±$15kLowest 16% below U.S. |
$81,000±$22kHighest about the U.S. average |
| Westminster 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±$13kLowest 19% below U.S. |
$289,700±$28k 13% below U.S. |
$313,600±$39kHighest 6% below U.S. |
| Westminster and Ware are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,150±$182Highest 19% below U.S. |
$1,043±$109 26% below U.S. |
$749±$315Lowest 47% below U.S. |
| Athol and Ware 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. |
$4,237 36% above U.S. |
$4,480Highest 44% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 57.5%±17.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
64.3%±16.2Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
6.1%±43.8Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| 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 U.S.: 12.5% |
11.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
2.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 72.4% U.S.: 65.2% |
72.3%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
80.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1953 27 yrs older than U.S. |
1960Highest 20 yrs older than U.S. |
1938Lowest 42 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 minLowest about the U.S. average |
28 min 8% above U.S. |
30 minHighest 13% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 10.6%±3.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
12.3%±3.8 U.S.: 15.1% |
23.1%±15.9Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Westminster and Ware 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 | #267 of 282 in MA | #53 of 70 in VT |
| School district | Athol-Royalston | Ware | — |
| High school in town | Athol High | Ware Junior/Senior High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.6Highest |
11.1Lowest |
— |
| 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.