Compare towns
Fall River vs Freetown vs Webster
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).
Freetown has the highest household income ($144k).
Webster has the most affordable homes ($362k 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 | Fall River | Freetown | Webster |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 94,082Highest |
9,285Lowest |
17,748 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.8% MA: +7.4% |
+3.8%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+6%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 39.3±1.2Lowest about the MA average |
40.9±3.2Highest about the MA average |
39.9±2.9 about the MA average |
| Freetown and Webster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19.9%±1.2 MA: 19.4% |
21.1%±3.1Highest MA: 19.4% |
19.6%±2.9Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Freetown and Fall River 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% |
17.8%±2.2 MA: 17.9% |
19.6%±2.5Highest MA: 17.9% |
| Webster and Freetown 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% |
40%Highest MA: 47.3% |
25.3% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±0.6 MA: 7.9% |
3.7%±1.2Lowest MA: 7.9% |
5.8%±1.6Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Webster 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 |
$143,884±$15kHighest 38% above MA |
$72,895±$6k 30% below MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $395,500±$11k 30% below MA |
$518,200±$30kHighest 8% below MA |
$361,500±$12kLowest 36% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,155±$27Lowest 34% below MA |
$1,891±$363Highest 7% above MA |
$1,228±$81 30% below MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,953Lowest 34% below MA |
$5,188Highest 13% below MA |
$3,999 33% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52.5%±3.3Highest MA: 51.8% |
39.2%±12.1Lowest MA: 51.8% |
45.7%±6.7 MA: 51.8% |
| Fall River and Webster 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% |
3.1%Lowest MA: 10% |
12.7% MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 35.3%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
86.1%Highest MA: 62.5% |
59.8% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1945Lowest 19 yrs older than MA |
1976Highest 12 yrs newer than MA |
1962 2 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minLowest 11% below MA |
32 minHighest 11% above MA |
31 min 5% above MA |
| Work from home | 7.1%±1.2Lowest MA: 18.6% |
7.7%±2.8 MA: 18.6% |
8%±2.5Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Webster and Freetown 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 | #262 of 282 in MA | #161 of 282 in MA | #271 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Fall River · Greater Fall River Regional Vocational Technical | Freetown-Lakeville | Webster |
| High school in town | B M C Durfee High | None in town | Bartlett High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.3Lowest |
— | 11.6Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.