Compare towns
Fall River vs Ashby vs Lawrence
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Fall River has the oldest housing (typical home built 1945).
Ashby has the most homeowners (95.5%).
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 | Fall River | Ashby | Lawrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 94,082Highest |
3,211Lowest |
88,736 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.8% MA: +7.4% |
+3.9%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+16.7%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 39.3±1.2 about the MA average |
50.5±3Highest 26% above MA |
32.6±0.9Lowest 19% below MA |
| Kids under 18 | 19.9%±1.2 MA: 19.4% |
17%±3.5Lowest MA: 19.4% |
26.3%±1.6Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 16.1%±0.9 MA: 17.9% |
21.5%±4.3Highest MA: 17.9% |
10.5%±0.9Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 16.4%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
43.7%Highest MA: 47.3% |
16.8% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±0.6 MA: 7.9% |
3%±1.2Lowest MA: 7.9% |
5.4%±0.8Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Lawrence and Fall River are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $56,673±$3kLowest 45% below MA |
$115,598±$9kHighest 11% above MA |
$60,433±$3k 42% below MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $395,500±$11k 30% below MA |
$390,500±$30kLowest 31% below MA |
$415,200±$23kHighest 26% below MA |
| Lawrence and Fall River are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,155±$27Lowest 34% below MA |
$1,200±$484 32% below MA |
$1,662±$50Highest 6% below MA |
| Lawrence and Ashby are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,953 34% below MA |
$6,034Highest about the MA average |
$3,422Lowest 43% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52.5%±3.3 MA: 51.8% |
36.4%±53.5Lowest MA: 51.8% |
60.6%±3.6Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Below poverty line | 19.6%Highest MA: 10% |
2.6%Lowest MA: 10% |
17.6% MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 35.3% MA: 62.5% |
95.5%Highest MA: 62.5% |
28.1%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1945Lowest 19 yrs older than MA |
1970Highest 6 yrs newer than MA |
1950 14 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 min 11% below MA |
33 minHighest 13% above MA |
23 minLowest 21% below MA |
| Work from home | 7.1%±1.2 MA: 18.6% |
17.8%±5.8Highest MA: 18.6% |
6.8%±1.2Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #262 of 282 in MA | #200 of 282 in MA | #278 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Fall River · Greater Fall River Regional Vocational Technical | North Middlesex | Lawrence |
| High school in town | B M C Durfee High | None in town | Lawrence High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.3Lowest |
— | 13.6Highest |
| 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.