Compare towns
Devens vs Bow vs Shirley
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Devens has the most people working from home (28.5%).
Bow has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.4%).
Shirley has the most affordable homes ($428k median).
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 | Devens | Bow | Shirley |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,723Lowest |
8,335Highest |
6,976 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -7.8%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+9.4%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+3.1% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 48.6±4.3Highest 25% above U.S. |
41.5±2Lowest 7% above U.S. |
44.3±3.4 14% above U.S. |
| Devens and Shirley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 5.5%±3.9Lowest U.S.: 22% |
25%±3.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
16.4%±4.2 U.S.: 22% |
| Age 65+ | 14%±5Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
17.6%±2.5 U.S.: 17.2% |
19.8%±5.1Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Shirley and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 21.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
60.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
36.7% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.2%±4.2Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.6%±1.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
5.7%±2.2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Shirley and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $189,250±$63kHighest 134% above U.S. |
$172,857±$16k 114% above U.S. |
$122,365±$16kLowest 52% above U.S. |
| Devens and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $556,800±$96kHighest 67% above U.S. |
$506,500±$34k 52% above U.S. |
$427,600±$36kLowest 29% above U.S. |
| Devens and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,500±$539 6% above U.S. |
$1,539±$178Highest 9% above U.S. |
$1,481±$421Lowest 5% above U.S. |
| Bow and Devens are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,556 78% above U.S. |
$9,584Highest 207% above U.S. |
$5,156Lowest 65% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 85.4%±64.7Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
39%±13.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
57.1%±21.8 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Devens and Shirley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 25.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
2.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
9.9% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.3% U.S.: 65.2% |
87.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
77.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1950Lowest 30 yrs older than U.S. |
1985Highest 5 yrs newer than U.S. |
1984 4 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 5% above U.S. |
27 minLowest about the U.S. average |
40 minHighest 53% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 28.5%±11.5Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
22.7%±4.7 U.S.: 15.1% |
21%±7.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Devens 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 | #239 of 282 in MA |
| School district | — | Bow School District | Ayer Shirley School District |
| High school in town | — | Bow High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.8 |
— |
| 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.