Compare towns
Fall River vs Methuen vs Westport
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 people working from home (12.2%).
Westport has the oldest population (median age 50.7).
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 | Westport |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 94,082Highest |
53,475 |
16,484Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.8%Highest MA: +7.4% |
— | +5.2%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 39.3±1.2Lowest about the MA average |
39.9±1.7 about the MA average |
50.7±1.8Highest 27% above MA |
| Kids under 18 | 19.9%±1.2 MA: 19.4% |
21.3%±1.7Highest MA: 19.4% |
16.5%±2.9Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Methuen 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% |
17.2%±1.3 MA: 17.9% |
24.2%±2.7Highest MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 16.4%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
31%Highest MA: 47.3% |
29.7% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±0.6Lowest MA: 7.9% |
6.7%±1Highest MA: 7.9% |
6.6%±1.5 MA: 7.9% |
| Methuen and Westport 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 |
$113,310±$7kHighest 9% above MA |
$96,000±$9k 8% below MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $395,500±$11kLowest 30% below MA |
$499,700±$17k 11% below MA |
$521,900±$38kHighest 7% below MA |
| Westport and Methuen 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 |
$1,749±$91Highest about the MA average |
$1,425±$356 19% below MA |
| Methuen and Westport are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,953 34% below MA |
$5,061Highest 16% below MA |
$3,719Lowest 38% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52.5%±3.3 MA: 51.8% |
48.4%±6.5Lowest MA: 51.8% |
52.9%±19.8Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Westport 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% MA: 10% |
6.7%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 35.3%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
72.3% MA: 62.5% |
82.9%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1945Lowest 19 yrs older than MA |
1968 4 yrs newer than MA |
1972Highest 8 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minLowest 11% below MA |
28 min 5% below MA |
29 minHighest about the MA average |
| Work from home | 7.1%±1.2Lowest MA: 18.6% |
12.2%±2.3Highest MA: 18.6% |
9.2%±2.6 MA: 18.6% |
| Methuen and Westport 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 | #236 of 282 in MA | #195 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Fall River · Greater Fall River Regional Vocational Technical | Methuen | Westport |
| High school in town | B M C Durfee High | Methuen High | Westport Middle-High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.3Lowest |
13.1Highest |
11.5 |
| 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.