Compare towns
Belchertown vs Woonsocket 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
Belchertown has the most people working from home (14%).
Woonsocket has the most renters (62.8% rent).
Palmer Town has the most affordable homes ($271k median).
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 | Belchertown | Woonsocket | Palmer Town |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 15,393 |
43,521Highest |
12,381Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4.8% U.S.: +7.4% |
+5%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+2.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 43.9±1.6 13% above U.S. |
35.7±1.3Lowest 8% below U.S. |
47.8±5.6Highest 23% above U.S. |
| Palmer Town and Belchertown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19.5%±2.9 U.S.: 22% |
23.3%±2Highest U.S.: 22% |
15.1%±3.1Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Woonsocket and Belchertown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 21%±2.4Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
14.7%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.9%±4.2 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Belchertown 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+ | 47.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
19.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
23.5% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.7%±1.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.1%±0.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
3.4%±1.5Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Belchertown and Woonsocket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $108,068±$15kHighest 34% above U.S. |
$61,059±$5kLowest 24% below U.S. |
$78,480±$8k about the U.S. average |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $371,300±$12kHighest 12% above U.S. |
$311,000±$15k 7% below U.S. |
$271,400±$21kLowest 18% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,292±$230Highest 9% below U.S. |
$1,161±$48 18% below U.S. |
$1,075±$103Lowest 24% below U.S. |
| Belchertown and Woonsocket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,810Highest 86% above U.S. |
$3,960Lowest 27% above U.S. |
$4,540 46% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 57.4%±21.8Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
46.7%±5.4Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
52.9%±10.6 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Belchertown and Palmer Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 8.5% U.S.: 12.5% |
18.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
8.3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
37.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
71.5% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1984Highest 4 yrs newer than U.S. |
1952Lowest 28 yrs older than U.S. |
1962 18 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minLowest 9% above U.S. |
29 min 11% above U.S. |
31 minHighest 19% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 14%±3.3Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
6.4%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
7.3%±2.7 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #168 of 282 in MA | #37 of 38 in RI | #252 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Belchertown | RISE Prep Mayoral Academy · Woonsocket | Palmer · Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical |
| High school in town | Belchertown High | Woonsocket High School | Pathfinder Vocational Technical |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.9 |
15.2Highest |
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.