Compare towns
Fall River vs Lynn vs Worcester
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).
Lynn has the most expensive homes ($510k median).
Worcester has the most people working from home (11.5%).
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 | Lynn | Worcester |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 94,082Lowest |
101,709 |
207,055Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.8%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+12.1% MA: +7.4% |
+14.1%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 39.3±1.2Highest about the MA average |
36.5±1.2 9% below MA |
33.9±0.5Lowest 15% below MA |
| Kids under 18 | 19.9%±1.2 MA: 19.4% |
24.1%±1.4Highest MA: 19.4% |
19.6%±0.8Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 16.1%±0.9Highest MA: 17.9% |
13.7%±0.9 MA: 17.9% |
13.3%±0.6Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 16.4%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
24.1% MA: 47.3% |
35.2%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±0.6Lowest MA: 7.9% |
5.4%±0.6 MA: 7.9% |
14.1%±0.8Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $56,673±$3kLowest 45% below MA |
$75,043±$3kHighest 28% below MA |
$70,102±$2k 33% below MA |
| Lynn and Worcester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $395,500±$11k 30% below MA |
$510,100±$23kHighest 9% below MA |
$374,400±$7kLowest 33% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,155±$27Lowest 34% below MA |
$1,722±$60Highest about the MA average |
$1,487±$38 16% below MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,953Lowest 34% below MA |
$5,384Highest 10% below MA |
$4,733 21% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52.5%±3.3Lowest MA: 51.8% |
60%±4.1Highest MA: 51.8% |
54.2%±2.9 MA: 51.8% |
| Lynn and Worcester 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% |
13.8%Lowest MA: 10% |
19.6%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 35.3%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
48.1%Highest MA: 62.5% |
42.8% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1945Lowest 19 yrs older than MA |
1946 18 yrs older than MA |
1951Highest 13 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 min 11% below MA |
32 minHighest 8% above MA |
24 minLowest 17% below MA |
| Work from home | 7.1%±1.2Lowest MA: 18.6% |
7.9%±1 MA: 18.6% |
11.5%±1Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #262 of 282 in MA | #277 of 282 in MA | #266 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Fall River · Greater Fall River Regional Vocational Technical | Lynn | Ma Academy for Math and Science · Worcester |
| High school in town | B M C Durfee High | Lynn English High | South High Community |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.3Lowest |
15.0Highest |
14.6 |
| 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.