Compare towns
Bridgewater Town vs Ashburnham vs Dracut
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bridgewater Town has the most expensive homes ($533k median).
Ashburnham has the most people working from home (16%).
Dracut has the shortest commute (30 min average).
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 | Bridgewater Town | Ashburnham | Dracut |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 28,471 |
6,415Lowest |
32,574Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +3.8%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+10.7%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 37.6±1.6Lowest 6% below MA |
40.7±6.3 about the MA average |
41.7±2Highest 4% above MA |
| Dracut and Ashburnham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 17.6%±2Lowest MA: 19.4% |
22.6%±6Highest MA: 19.4% |
21.4%±2.4 MA: 19.4% |
| Ashburnham and Dracut are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 17.3%±1.9Lowest MA: 17.9% |
18.1%±4.5 MA: 17.9% |
18.2%±2Highest MA: 17.9% |
| Dracut and Ashburnham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 39.5% MA: 47.3% |
44%Highest MA: 47.3% |
36.4%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 16.2%±1.5Highest MA: 7.9% |
5.6%±2.2 MA: 7.9% |
5.1%±1.3Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $112,651±$7kLowest 8% above MA |
$118,809±$11kHighest 14% above MA |
$114,036±$10k 10% above MA |
| Ashburnham and Dracut are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $533,100±$23kHighest 5% below MA |
$390,700±$34kLowest 30% below MA |
$473,900±$17k 16% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,092±$177Highest 19% above MA |
$1,807±$1kLowest about the MA average |
$1,839±$130 4% above MA |
| Bridgewater Town and Dracut are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,499Highest 8% above MA |
$6,046 about the MA average |
$5,375Lowest 10% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 54.2%±13.2Lowest MA: 51.8% |
100%±100Highest MA: 51.8% |
57.6%±7.4 MA: 51.8% |
| Ashburnham and Dracut are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 4.8%Lowest MA: 10% |
6.8% MA: 10% |
7.8%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 75.6%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
96%Highest MA: 62.5% |
79.8% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1984Highest 20 yrs newer than MA |
1981 17 yrs newer than MA |
1975Lowest 11 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 31 min 8% above MA |
32 minHighest 10% above MA |
30 minLowest 4% above MA |
| Work from home | 12.7%±2.7 MA: 18.6% |
16%±7.7Highest MA: 18.6% |
11.4%±2Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Ashburnham and Bridgewater Town 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 | #121 of 282 in MA | #178 of 282 in MA | #201 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Bridgewater-Raynham | Ashburnham-Westminster | Dracut |
| High school in town | Bridgewater-Raynham Regional | None in town | Dracut Senior High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 18.1Highest |
— | 12.9Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.