Compare towns
Fall River vs Griswold vs Thompson vs Lawrence
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Fall River has the oldest housing (typical home built 1945).
Griswold has the most affordable homes ($276k median).
Thompson has the most people working from home (13.1%).
Lawrence has the most kids (26.3% under 18).
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 | Griswold | Thompson | Lawrence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 94,082Highest |
11,530 |
9,337Lowest |
88,736 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.8%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
— | — | +16.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 39.3±1.2 about the U.S. average |
48.1±3.9 24% above U.S. |
54.1±2.2Highest 39% above U.S. |
32.6±0.9Lowest 16% below U.S. |
| Thompson and Griswold are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 19.9%±1.2 U.S.: 22% |
18.5%±3.7 U.S.: 22% |
11.4%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 22% |
26.3%±1.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Age 65+ | 16.1%±0.9 U.S.: 17.2% |
17.8%±3.5 U.S.: 17.2% |
24.4%±4.3Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
10.5%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Thompson and Griswold 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 U.S.: 35.7% |
19.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
21.9%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
16.8% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±0.6 U.S.: 6.4% |
1.8%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.9%±1.3 U.S.: 6.4% |
5.4%±0.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| 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 30% below U.S. |
$78,719±$11k about the U.S. average |
$93,629±$18kHighest 16% above U.S. |
$60,433±$3k 25% below U.S. |
| Thompson and Griswold are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $395,500±$11k 19% above U.S. |
$275,900±$42kLowest 17% below U.S. |
$291,900±$24k 12% below U.S. |
$415,200±$23kHighest 25% above U.S. |
| 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±$27 18% below U.S. |
$1,177±$65 17% below U.S. |
$1,012±$344Lowest 28% below U.S. |
$1,662±$50Highest 18% above U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,953 27% above U.S. |
$4,628Highest 48% above U.S. |
$3,822 23% above U.S. |
$3,422Lowest 10% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52.5%±3.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
57.5%±15.5 U.S.: 51.1% |
54%±18.7 U.S.: 51.1% |
60.6%±3.6Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Lawrence and Griswold are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 19.6%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
7.6% U.S.: 12.5% |
5.9%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
17.6% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 35.3% U.S.: 65.2% |
73.3% U.S.: 65.2% |
84.3%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
28.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1945Lowest 35 yrs older than U.S. |
1977Highest 3 yrs older than U.S. |
1963 17 yrs older than U.S. |
1950 30 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 26 min about the U.S. average |
31 min 17% above U.S. |
32 minHighest 20% above U.S. |
23 minLowest 13% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 7.1%±1.2 U.S.: 15.1% |
9%±3.6 U.S.: 15.1% |
13.1%±4.4Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
6.8%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Thompson and Griswold 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 | #118 of 149 in CT | #130 of 149 in CT | #278 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Fall River · Greater Fall River Regional Vocational Technical | Griswold School District | Thompson School District | Lawrence |
| High school in town | B M C Durfee High | Griswold High School | Tourtellotte Memorial High School | Lawrence High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.3 |
11.5 |
7.9Lowest |
13.6Highest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet | None yet |
U.S. 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.