Compare towns
Fall River vs New Bedford vs Upton
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 the most affordable homes ($357k median).
Upton has the most people working from home (22.8%).
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 | Upton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 94,082 |
100,998Highest |
8,189Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.8%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+6.3%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+6.1% MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 39.3±1.2 about the MA average |
37±0.8Lowest 8% below MA |
46.4±4.8Highest 16% above MA |
| Kids under 18 | 19.9%±1.2Lowest MA: 19.4% |
23.9%±1.2Highest MA: 19.4% |
23.2%±4.5 MA: 19.4% |
| New Bedford and Upton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 16.1%±0.9 MA: 17.9% |
15.4%±0.9Lowest MA: 17.9% |
20.7%±4.9Highest MA: 17.9% |
| Upton and Fall River 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% |
53.5%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±0.6Highest MA: 7.9% |
4.1%±0.5Highest MA: 7.9% |
2.4%±1.3Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $56,673±$3kLowest 45% below MA |
$56,981±$3k 45% below MA |
$155,508±$33kHighest 50% above MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $395,500±$11k 30% below MA |
$357,300±$6kLowest 36% below MA |
$576,700±$41kHighest about the MA average |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,155±$27Highest 34% below MA |
$1,137±$26 35% below MA |
$948±$599Lowest 46% below MA |
| Fall River and New Bedford 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 |
$4,338 28% below MA |
$8,376Highest 40% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52.5%±3.3Lowest MA: 51.8% |
52.6%±3.2 MA: 51.8% |
52.8%±31Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Upton 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% MA: 10% |
20.6%Highest MA: 10% |
3.2%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 35.3%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
40.3% MA: 62.5% |
86.7%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1945 19 yrs older than MA |
1938Lowest 26 yrs older than MA |
1981Highest 17 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 min 11% below MA |
25 minLowest 15% below MA |
35 minHighest 22% above MA |
| Work from home | 7.1%±1.2 MA: 18.6% |
5.4%±0.9Lowest MA: 18.6% |
22.8%±5.3Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #262 of 282 in MA | #263 of 282 in MA | #46 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Fall River · Greater Fall River Regional Vocational Technical | New Bedford · Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical | Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical · Mendon-Upton |
| High school in town | B M C Durfee High | New Bedford High | Blackstone Valley |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.3 |
13.5Highest |
11.2Lowest |
| 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.