Compare towns
Fall River vs Methuen vs North Andover
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).
Methuen has the most homeowners (72.3%).
North Andover has the most people working from home (20.3%).
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 | Methuen | North Andover |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 94,082Highest |
53,475 |
31,490Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.8%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
— | +9%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 39.3±1.2Lowest about the MA average |
39.9±1.7Highest about the MA average |
39.6±2 about the MA average |
| Methuen and North Andover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19.9%±1.2Lowest MA: 19.4% |
21.3%±1.7Highest MA: 19.4% |
21.2%±2.1 MA: 19.4% |
| Methuen and North Andover 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% |
17.2%±1.3Highest MA: 17.9% |
17%±1.9 MA: 17.9% |
| Methuen and North Andover 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% |
31% MA: 47.3% |
61.1%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±0.6Lowest MA: 7.9% |
6.7%±1 MA: 7.9% |
11%±2.4Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $56,673±$3kLowest 45% below MA |
$113,310±$7k 9% above MA |
$140,670±$9kHighest 35% above MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $395,500±$11kLowest 30% below MA |
$499,700±$17k 11% below MA |
$732,900±$37kHighest 30% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,155±$27Lowest 34% below MA |
$1,749±$91 about the MA average |
$2,223±$223Highest 26% above MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,953Lowest 34% below MA |
$5,061 16% below MA |
$7,767Highest 30% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52.5%±3.3 MA: 51.8% |
48.4%±6.5Lowest MA: 51.8% |
53%±9Highest MA: 51.8% |
| North Andover 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% |
7.9%Lowest MA: 10% |
9.4% MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 35.3%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
72.3%Highest MA: 62.5% |
69.8% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1945Lowest 19 yrs older than MA |
1968 4 yrs newer than MA |
1979Highest 15 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minLowest 11% below MA |
28 min 5% below MA |
32 minHighest 9% above MA |
| Work from home | 7.1%±1.2Lowest MA: 18.6% |
12.2%±2.3 MA: 18.6% |
20.3%±2.5Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #262 of 282 in MA | #236 of 282 in MA | #98 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Fall River · Greater Fall River Regional Vocational Technical | Methuen | North Andover |
| High school in town | B M C Durfee High | Methuen High | North Andover High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.3Lowest |
13.1 |
13.3Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.