Compare towns
Fall River vs Ayer vs Freetown
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 most renters (64.7% rent).
Ayer has the most people working from home (21.6%).
Freetown has the highest household income ($144k).
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 | Ayer | Freetown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 94,082Highest |
8,645Lowest |
9,285 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.8% MA: +7.4% |
+14.2%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+3.8%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 39.3±1.2 about the MA average |
39.2±2.8Lowest about the MA average |
40.9±3.2Highest about the MA average |
| Freetown and Fall River are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19.9%±1.2Lowest MA: 19.4% |
20.3%±3.9 MA: 19.4% |
21.1%±3.1Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Freetown and Ayer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 16.1%±0.9 MA: 17.9% |
14.5%±2.8Lowest MA: 17.9% |
17.8%±2.2Highest MA: 17.9% |
| Freetown and Fall River are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 16.4%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
42.3%Highest MA: 47.3% |
40% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±0.6 MA: 7.9% |
4.5%±1.5Highest MA: 7.9% |
3.7%±1.2Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| Ayer 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 |
$101,875±$15k about the MA average |
$143,884±$15kHighest 38% above MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $395,500±$11kLowest 30% below MA |
$463,800±$29k 17% below MA |
$518,200±$30kHighest 8% below MA |
| Freetown and Ayer 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 |
$1,415±$180 20% below MA |
$1,891±$363Highest 7% above MA |
| Freetown and Ayer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,953Lowest 34% below MA |
$5,057 16% below MA |
$5,188Highest 13% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52.5%±3.3Highest MA: 51.8% |
45.1%±14.2 MA: 51.8% |
39.2%±12.1Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Fall River and Ayer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 19.6%Highest MA: 10% |
10.7% MA: 10% |
3.1%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 35.3%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
69.2% MA: 62.5% |
86.1%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1945Lowest 19 yrs older than MA |
1977Highest 13 yrs newer than MA |
1976 12 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minLowest 11% below MA |
33 minHighest 13% above MA |
32 min 11% above MA |
| Work from home | 7.1%±1.2Lowest MA: 18.6% |
21.6%±5.9Highest MA: 18.6% |
7.7%±2.8 MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #262 of 282 in MA | #113 of 282 in MA | #161 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Fall River · Greater Fall River Regional Vocational Technical | Ayer Shirley School District | Freetown-Lakeville |
| High school in town | B M C Durfee High | Ayer Shirley Regional High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.3Lowest |
11.5Highest |
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| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 12 photos → | 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.