Compare towns
Chicopee vs Taunton vs Ware
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Chicopee has the shortest commute (21 min average).
Taunton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.3%).
Ware has the most people working from home (12.3%).
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 | Chicopee | Taunton | Ware |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 55,295 |
60,433Highest |
10,048Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +0.5%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+6.3%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+2% MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 41.9±1.4 5% above MA |
38.9±1.3Lowest about the MA average |
43.1±4.7Highest 8% above MA |
| Ware and Chicopee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19.2%±1.7 MA: 19.4% |
21.6%±1.8Highest MA: 19.4% |
19.1%±3.5Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Taunton and Chicopee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.5%±1.4 MA: 17.9% |
15%±1.2Lowest MA: 17.9% |
20.6%±3.4Highest MA: 17.9% |
| Ware and Chicopee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 22.9%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
23.9% MA: 47.3% |
24%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.7%±0.6Lowest MA: 7.9% |
4.6%±0.7Highest MA: 7.9% |
4.4%±2.2 MA: 7.9% |
| Taunton and Ware are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $62,615±$6kLowest 40% below MA |
$79,283±$7kHighest 24% below MA |
$67,475±$15k 35% below MA |
| Taunton and Ware are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $274,500±$8kLowest 51% below MA |
$422,800±$9kHighest 25% below MA |
$289,700±$28k 48% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,157±$50 34% below MA |
$1,324±$86Highest 25% below MA |
$1,043±$109Lowest 41% below MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,847Lowest 36% below MA |
$4,344Highest 28% below MA |
$4,237 29% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52%±5.6Lowest MA: 51.8% |
56.8%±5.9 MA: 51.8% |
64.3%±16.2Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Ware and Taunton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 17.3%Highest MA: 10% |
13% MA: 10% |
11.8%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 55.7%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
62.1% MA: 62.5% |
72.3%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1958Lowest 6 yrs older than MA |
1965Highest 1 yr newer than MA |
1960 4 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 21 minLowest 27% below MA |
29 minHighest about the MA average |
28 min about the MA average |
| Work from home | 8%±1.8Lowest MA: 18.6% |
8%±1.5Lowest MA: 18.6% |
12.3%±3.8Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Ware and Chicopee 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 | #247 of 282 in MA | #253 of 282 in MA | #267 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Chicopee | Bristol-Plymouth Regional Vocational Technical · Taunton | Ware |
| High school in town | Chicopee Comprehensive High School | Taunton High | Ware Junior/Senior High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.2 |
16.6Highest |
11.1Lowest |
| 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.