Compare towns
Fall River vs Maynard vs Northborough
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).
Maynard has the most people working from home (22.9%).
Northborough has grown the fastest since 2010 (+11.2%).
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 | Maynard | Northborough |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 94,082Highest |
10,712Lowest |
15,750 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.8%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+6.3% MA: +7.4% |
+11.2%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 39.3±1.2Lowest about the MA average |
45.3±4.3Highest 13% above MA |
45±3 13% above MA |
| Maynard and Northborough 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% |
16.9%±4.3Lowest MA: 19.4% |
21.6%±2.8Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Northborough 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% |
18.2%±3.3Highest MA: 17.9% |
17.7%±2.3 MA: 17.9% |
| Maynard and Northborough 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% |
64.2% MA: 47.3% |
65.5%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±0.6 MA: 7.9% |
3.5%±1.5Lowest MA: 7.9% |
5.1%±1.4Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Northborough 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 |
$124,067±$16k 19% above MA |
$153,199±$19kHighest 47% above MA |
| Northborough and Maynard 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 |
$527,400±$31k 6% below MA |
$620,000±$24kHighest 10% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,155±$27Lowest 34% below MA |
$1,800±$148 about the MA average |
$1,919±$269Highest 9% above MA |
| Northborough and Maynard 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 |
$8,266Highest 38% above MA |
$7,983 33% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52.5%±3.3Highest MA: 51.8% |
44.9%±9.6Lowest MA: 51.8% |
50.1%±16.3 MA: 51.8% |
| Fall River and Northborough 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% |
8.3% MA: 10% |
3.7%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 35.3%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
75% MA: 62.5% |
83.1%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1945Lowest 19 yrs older than MA |
1963 1 yr older than MA |
1980Highest 16 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minLowest 11% below MA |
32 minHighest 9% above MA |
31 min 7% above MA |
| Work from home | 7.1%±1.2Lowest MA: 18.6% |
22.9%±7.7Highest MA: 18.6% |
22.5%±5.3 MA: 18.6% |
| Maynard and Northborough 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 | #166 of 282 in MA | #35 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Fall River · Greater Fall River Regional Vocational Technical | Maynard | Northborough · Northboro-Southboro |
| High school in town | B M C Durfee High | Maynard High | Algonquin Regional High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.3Highest |
9.7Lowest |
10.8 |
| 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.