Compare towns
Bath vs Upton vs Lancaster vs Brunswick
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bath has the most affordable homes ($311k median).
Upton has the most kids (23.2% under 18).
Lancaster has the most people working from home (33.6%).
Brunswick has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.3%).
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 | Bath | Upton | Lancaster | Brunswick |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,815 |
8,189Lowest |
8,606 |
22,336Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.1% U.S.: +7.4% |
+4.8% U.S.: +7.4% |
+7.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 45.4±3 17% above U.S. |
46.4±4.8Highest 19% above U.S. |
43.1±4.9 11% above U.S. |
40±2.8Lowest about the U.S. average |
| Upton and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 15.5%±3.7Lowest U.S.: 22% |
23.2%±4.5Highest U.S.: 22% |
19.2%±4 U.S.: 22% |
17.2%±2.2 U.S.: 22% |
| Upton and Lancaster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 25.2%±4.1Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.7%±4.9 U.S.: 17.2% |
19.9%±4.2Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
22.9%±2.2 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bath and Brunswick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 42.5%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
53.5% U.S.: 35.7% |
50.3% U.S.: 35.7% |
53.9%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±2 U.S.: 6.4% |
2.4%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
3%±1.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
13.3%±1.1Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $69,390±$12kLowest 14% below U.S. |
$155,508±$33kHighest 93% above U.S. |
$134,833±$27k 67% above U.S. |
$74,952±$6k 7% below U.S. |
| Upton and Lancaster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $310,900±$30kLowest 7% below U.S. |
$576,700±$41kHighest 73% above U.S. |
$519,100±$60k 56% above U.S. |
$376,300±$15k 13% above U.S. |
| Upton and Lancaster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,044±$116 26% below U.S. |
$948±$599Lowest 33% below U.S. |
$2,338±$539Highest 65% above U.S. |
$1,469±$99 4% above U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,847Lowest 23% above U.S. |
$8,376Highest 169% above U.S. |
$7,235 132% above U.S. |
$4,756 52% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.3%±15.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
52.8%±31 U.S.: 51.1% |
68.3%±36.7Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
56.4%±8.8 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Lancaster and Brunswick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 12.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
3.2% U.S.: 12.5% |
1.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
7.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.3%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
86.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
85.1% U.S.: 65.2% |
71.2% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 42 yrs older than U.S. |
1981 1 yr newer than U.S. |
1971 9 yrs older than U.S. |
1982Highest 2 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min 9% below U.S. |
35 minHighest 34% above U.S. |
32 min 20% above U.S. |
23 minLowest 11% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
22.8%±5.3 U.S.: 15.1% |
33.6%±9.1Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
19.8%±3.8 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Lancaster and Upton 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 | #31 of 133 in ME | #46 of 282 in MA | #145 of 282 in MA | #30 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 01 - LKRSU | Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical · Mendon-Upton | Nashoba | Brunswick Public Schools · Brunswick-Region 10 |
| High school in town | Morse High School | Blackstone Valley | None in town | Brunswick High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
11.2 |
— | 10.9Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.