Compare towns
Fall River vs Gardner 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).
Gardner has the most people working from home (13.3%).
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 | Gardner | Freetown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 94,082Highest |
21,148 |
9,285Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.8%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+5.2% MA: +7.4% |
+3.8%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 39.3±1.2Lowest about the MA average |
43.7±2.3Highest 9% above MA |
40.9±3.2 about the MA average |
| Gardner and Freetown 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% |
18.3%±2.3Lowest MA: 19.4% |
21.1%±3.1Highest 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% |
19.6%±2.2Highest MA: 17.9% |
17.8%±2.2 MA: 17.9% |
| Gardner 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% |
23.8% MA: 47.3% |
40%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±0.6 MA: 7.9% |
4.6%±1.3Highest MA: 7.9% |
3.7%±1.2Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| Gardner 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 |
$67,518±$8k 35% below MA |
$143,884±$15kHighest 38% above MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $395,500±$11k 30% below MA |
$301,600±$20kLowest 46% below MA |
$518,200±$30kHighest 8% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,155±$27 34% below MA |
$1,109±$51Lowest 37% below MA |
$1,891±$363Highest 7% above MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,953Lowest 34% below MA |
$4,150 31% below MA |
$5,188Highest 13% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52.5%±3.3Highest MA: 51.8% |
49.7%±8.6 MA: 51.8% |
39.2%±12.1Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Fall River and Gardner 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% |
13.7% MA: 10% |
3.1%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 35.3%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
58.9% MA: 62.5% |
86.1%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1945Lowest 19 yrs older than MA |
1954 10 yrs older than MA |
1976Highest 12 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minLowest 11% below MA |
31 min 5% above MA |
32 minHighest 11% above MA |
| Work from home | 7.1%±1.2Lowest MA: 18.6% |
13.3%±3.6Highest MA: 18.6% |
7.7%±2.8 MA: 18.6% |
| Gardner 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 | #273 of 282 in MA | #161 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Fall River · Greater Fall River Regional Vocational Technical | Gardner | Freetown-Lakeville |
| High school in town | B M C Durfee High | Gardner High | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.3Lowest |
13.5Highest |
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| 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.