Compare towns
Derry vs Fall River vs Lawrence
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Derry has the most people working from home (16%).
Fall River has the most affordable homes ($396k median).
Lawrence has grown the fastest since 2010 (+16.7%).
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 | Derry | Fall River | Lawrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 34,116Lowest |
94,082Highest |
88,736 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.6%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+5.8% U.S.: +7.4% |
+16.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 40.3±1.6Highest 4% above U.S. |
39.3±1.2 about the U.S. average |
32.6±0.9Lowest 16% below U.S. |
| Derry and Fall River are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 20.7%±2.1 U.S.: 22% |
19.9%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 22% |
26.3%±1.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Age 65+ | 15.2%±1.6 U.S.: 17.2% |
16.1%±0.9Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
10.5%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Fall River and Derry are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 37.4%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
16.4%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
16.8% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.1%±1.5Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.1%±0.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.4%±0.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Derry and Lawrence are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $108,944±$7kHighest 35% above U.S. |
$56,673±$3kLowest 30% below U.S. |
$60,433±$3k 25% below U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $432,000±$17kHighest 30% above U.S. |
$395,500±$11kLowest 19% above U.S. |
$415,200±$23k 25% above U.S. |
| Derry and Lawrence are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,547±$138 9% above U.S. |
$1,155±$27Lowest 18% below U.S. |
$1,662±$50Highest 18% above U.S. |
| Lawrence and Derry are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $8,103Highest 160% above U.S. |
$3,953 27% above U.S. |
$3,422Lowest 10% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.6%±9Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
52.5%±3.3 U.S.: 51.1% |
60.6%±3.6Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Below poverty line | 4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
19.6%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
17.6% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 70.2%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
35.3% U.S.: 65.2% |
28.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Highest 3 yrs newer than U.S. |
1945Lowest 35 yrs older than U.S. |
1950 30 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 31 minHighest 17% above U.S. |
26 min about the U.S. average |
23 minLowest 13% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 16%±2.8Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
7.1%±1.2 U.S.: 15.1% |
6.8%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #60 of 120 in NH | #262 of 282 in MA | #278 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Derry Cooperative School District · Pinkerton Academy School District | Fall River · Greater Fall River Regional Vocational Technical | Lawrence |
| High school in town | Pinkerton Academy | B M C Durfee High | Lawrence High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 13.9Highest |
11.3Lowest |
13.6 |
| 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.