Compare towns
Fall River vs New Bedford vs Springfield
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).
New Bedford has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.3%).
Springfield has the most affordable homes ($245k median).
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 | New Bedford | Springfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 94,082Lowest |
100,998 |
154,749Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.8% MA: +7.4% |
+6.3%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+1.9%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 39.3±1.2Highest about the MA average |
37±0.8 8% below MA |
33.7±0.5Lowest 16% below MA |
| Kids under 18 | 19.9%±1.2Lowest MA: 19.4% |
23.9%±1.2 MA: 19.4% |
24.2%±0.9Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Springfield and New Bedford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 16.1%±0.9Highest MA: 17.9% |
15.4%±0.9 MA: 17.9% |
13.2%±0.7Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Fall River and New Bedford 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% |
17% MA: 47.3% |
20.5%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±0.6Lowest MA: 7.9% |
4.1%±0.5Lowest MA: 7.9% |
7.5%±0.5Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $56,673±$3k 45% below MA |
$56,981±$3kHighest 45% below MA |
$52,656±$2kLowest 49% below MA |
| New Bedford and Fall River are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $395,500±$11kHighest 30% below MA |
$357,300±$6k 36% below MA |
$245,000±$4kLowest 56% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,155±$27Highest 34% below MA |
$1,137±$26Lowest 35% below MA |
$1,144±$55 35% below MA |
| Fall River and Springfield 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 |
$4,338Highest 28% below MA |
$3,695Lowest 38% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52.5%±3.3Lowest MA: 51.8% |
52.6%±3.2 MA: 51.8% |
57.7%±3.1Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Springfield and New Bedford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 19.6%Lowest MA: 10% |
20.6% MA: 10% |
25.8%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 35.3%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
40.3% MA: 62.5% |
49.6%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1945 19 yrs older than MA |
1938Lowest 26 yrs older than MA |
1952Highest 12 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minHighest 11% below MA |
25 min 15% below MA |
20 minLowest 31% below MA |
| Work from home | 7.1%±1.2 MA: 18.6% |
5.4%±0.9Lowest MA: 18.6% |
8.4%±0.9Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Springfield and Fall River 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 | #263 of 282 in MA | #276 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Fall River · Greater Fall River Regional Vocational Technical | New Bedford · Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical | Springfield |
| High school in town | B M C Durfee High | New Bedford High | Springfield Central High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.3Lowest |
13.5Highest |
12.2 |
| 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.