Compare towns
Fall River vs Lancaster vs Douglas
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).
Lancaster has the most people working from home (33.6%).
Douglas has the highest household income ($152k).
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 | Lancaster | Douglas |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 94,082Highest |
8,606Lowest |
9,207 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.8% MA: +7.4% |
+4.8%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+6%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 39.3±1.2Lowest about the MA average |
43.1±4.9 8% above MA |
44±2.6Highest 10% above MA |
| Douglas and Lancaster 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% |
19.2%±4Lowest MA: 19.4% |
21.2%±3.8Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Douglas and Fall River are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 16.1%±0.9 MA: 17.9% |
19.9%±4.2Highest MA: 17.9% |
15.4%±3.1Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Lancaster 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% |
50.3%Highest MA: 47.3% |
41.7% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±0.6 MA: 7.9% |
3%±1.8Lowest MA: 7.9% |
5.4%±2.3Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Douglas 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 |
$134,833±$27k 30% above MA |
$152,267±$10kHighest 46% above MA |
| Douglas and Lancaster 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 |
$519,100±$60kHighest 8% below MA |
$470,600±$29k 16% below MA |
| Lancaster and Douglas 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 |
$2,338±$539Highest 33% above MA |
$1,503±$697 15% below MA |
| Lancaster and Douglas 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 |
$7,235Highest 21% above MA |
$6,338 6% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52.5%±3.3 MA: 51.8% |
68.3%±36.7Highest MA: 51.8% |
33.9%±17.4Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Lancaster 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% |
1.4%Lowest MA: 10% |
4.8% MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 35.3%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
85.1%Highest MA: 62.5% |
83.8% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1945Lowest 19 yrs older than MA |
1971 7 yrs newer than MA |
1986Highest 22 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minLowest 11% below MA |
32 min 9% above MA |
34 minHighest 16% above MA |
| Work from home | 7.1%±1.2Lowest MA: 18.6% |
33.6%±9.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
20.9%±4.9 MA: 18.6% |
| Lancaster and Douglas 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 | #145 of 282 in MA | #177 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Fall River · Greater Fall River Regional Vocational Technical | Nashoba | Douglas |
| High school in town | B M C Durfee High | None in town | Douglas High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.3Highest |
— | 7.2Lowest |
| 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.