Compare towns
Fall River vs Buzzards Bay vs North Westport
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).
Buzzards Bay has the most people working from home (17.4%).
North Westport has the shortest commute (24 min average).
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 | Buzzards Bay | North Westport |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 94,082Highest |
2,909Lowest |
5,289 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.8% MA: +7.4% |
+10.9%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+3.3%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 39.3±1.2Lowest about the MA average |
54.4±5.9Highest 36% above MA |
44.7±2.8 12% above MA |
| Kids under 18 | 19.9%±1.2Highest MA: 19.4% |
6.7%±2.9Lowest MA: 19.4% |
19.6%±5.4 MA: 19.4% |
| Fall River and North Westport are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 16.1%±0.9Lowest MA: 17.9% |
32.3%±5.2Highest MA: 17.9% |
16.3%±3 MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 16.4%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
29.6%Highest MA: 47.3% |
17% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±0.6Lowest MA: 7.9% |
8.9%±1.4Highest MA: 7.9% |
6.1%±3.3 MA: 7.9% |
| Buzzards Bay and North Westport 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 |
$94,388±$12kHighest 9% below MA |
$87,582±$17k 16% below MA |
| Buzzards Bay and North Westport are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $395,500±$11kLowest 30% below MA |
$454,500±$28kHighest 19% below MA |
$411,300±$53k 27% below MA |
| Buzzards Bay and North Westport 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 |
$1,484±$601 16% below MA |
$1,662±$723Highest 6% below MA |
| North Westport and Buzzards Bay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,953Highest 34% below MA |
$3,405 43% below MA |
$2,806Lowest 53% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52.5%±3.3 MA: 51.8% |
37.9%±20.3Lowest MA: 51.8% |
73.3%±40.2Highest MA: 51.8% |
| North Westport and Fall River 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% |
7.3% MA: 10% |
4.3%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 35.3%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
75.7% MA: 62.5% |
79.6%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1945Lowest 19 yrs older than MA |
1956 8 yrs older than MA |
1963Highest 1 yr older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 min 11% below MA |
32 minHighest 10% above MA |
24 minLowest 18% below MA |
| Work from home | 7.1%±1.2 MA: 18.6% |
17.4%±6.3Highest MA: 18.6% |
4.3%±2.4Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #262 of 282 in MA | — | — |
| School district | Fall River · Greater Fall River Regional Vocational Technical | — | — |
| High school in town | B M C Durfee High | — | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.3 |
— | — |
| 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.