Compare towns
Brockton vs Lancaster
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Brockton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+12.6%).
Lancaster has the most people working from home (33.6%).
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 | Brockton | Lancaster |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 105,386Highest |
8,606Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +12.6%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+4.8%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 36.7±0.8Lowest 8% below MA |
43.1±4.9Highest 8% above MA |
| Kids under 18 | 25.3%±1Highest MA: 19.4% |
19.2%±4Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 14.4%±0.9Lowest MA: 17.9% |
19.9%±4.2Highest MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 22.3%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
50.3%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.3%±0.7Highest MA: 7.9% |
3%±1.8Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $80,115±$3kLowest 23% below MA |
$134,833±$27kHighest 30% above MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $437,500±$8kLowest 22% below MA |
$519,100±$60kHighest 8% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,641±$52Lowest 7% below MA |
$2,338±$539Highest 33% above MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,820Lowest 20% below MA |
$7,235Highest 21% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 54.5%±4.2Lowest MA: 51.8% |
68.3%±36.7Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Lancaster and Brockton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 13.5%Highest MA: 10% |
1.4%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 57.4%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
85.1%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1960Lowest 4 yrs older than MA |
1971Highest 7 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 32 minLowest 8% above MA |
32 minHighest 9% above MA |
| Work from home | 6.9%±1Lowest MA: 18.6% |
33.6%±9.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #279 of 282 in MA | #145 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Brockton | Nashoba |
| High school in town | Brockton High | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 17.0 |
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| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in History | 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.