Compare towns
Bow vs Fall River vs Lawrence vs Brookline
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bow has the highest household income ($173k).
Fall River has the most affordable homes ($396k median).
Lawrence has grown the fastest since 2010 (+16.7%).
Brookline has the most people working from home (24.7%).
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 | Bow | Fall River | Lawrence | Brookline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,335 |
94,082Highest |
88,736 |
5,736Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.4% U.S.: +7.4% |
+5.8%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+16.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+13% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 41.5±2Highest 7% above U.S. |
39.3±1.2 about the U.S. average |
32.6±0.9Lowest 16% below U.S. |
41.2±1.5 6% above U.S. |
| Bow and Brookline are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 25%±3.6 U.S.: 22% |
19.9%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 22% |
26.3%±1.6 U.S.: 22% |
26.7%±4Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Brookline and Lawrence are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 17.6%±2.5Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
16.1%±0.9 U.S.: 17.2% |
10.5%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
11.4%±2.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bow and Fall River are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 60.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
16.4%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
16.8% U.S.: 35.7% |
57.7% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±1.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
4.1%±0.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.4%±0.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
6.3%±3.2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Brookline and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $172,857±$16kHighest 114% above U.S. |
$56,673±$3kLowest 30% below U.S. |
$60,433±$3k 25% below U.S. |
$171,046±$4k 112% above U.S. |
| Bow and Brookline are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $506,500±$34k 52% above U.S. |
$395,500±$11kLowest 19% above U.S. |
$415,200±$23k 25% above U.S. |
$544,400±$38kHighest 64% above U.S. |
| Brookline and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,539±$178 9% above U.S. |
$1,155±$27Lowest 18% below U.S. |
$1,662±$50 18% above U.S. |
$2,500±$1kHighest 77% above U.S. |
| Brookline and Lawrence are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $9,584 207% above U.S. |
$3,953 27% above U.S. |
$3,422Lowest 10% above U.S. |
$10,000+Highest at least 221% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 39%±13.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
52.5%±3.3 U.S.: 51.1% |
60.6%±3.6Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
23.8%±43.5Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Below poverty line | 2.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
19.6%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
17.6% U.S.: 12.5% |
0.6%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.5% U.S.: 65.2% |
35.3% U.S.: 65.2% |
28.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
95.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1985 5 yrs newer than U.S. |
1945Lowest 35 yrs older than U.S. |
1950 30 yrs older than U.S. |
1993Highest 13 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 27 min about the U.S. average |
26 min about the U.S. average |
23 minLowest 13% below U.S. |
33 minHighest 26% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 22.7%±4.7 U.S.: 15.1% |
7.1%±1.2 U.S.: 15.1% |
6.8%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
24.7%±5.8Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Brookline and Bow 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 | #26 of 120 in NH | #262 of 282 in MA | #278 of 282 in MA | #23 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Bow School District | Fall River · Greater Fall River Regional Vocational Technical | Lawrence | Brookline School District |
| High school in town | Bow High School | B M C Durfee High | Lawrence High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.8 |
11.3Lowest |
13.6Highest |
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| 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.