Compare towns
Fall River vs Pomfret vs Putnam vs Lawrence
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Fall River has the oldest housing (typical home built 1945).
Pomfret has the highest household income ($108k).
Putnam has the most affordable homes ($269k median).
Lawrence has the most renters (71.9% rent).
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 | Pomfret | Putnam | Lawrence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 94,082Highest |
4,317Lowest |
9,292 |
88,736 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.8%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
— | — | +16.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 39.3±1.2 about the U.S. average |
45.9±3.7Highest 18% above U.S. |
43.7±3 12% above U.S. |
32.6±0.9Lowest 16% below U.S. |
| Pomfret and Putnam are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 19.9%±1.2 U.S.: 22% |
23.1%±4.9 U.S.: 22% |
18.6%±3.6Lowest U.S.: 22% |
26.3%±1.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Lawrence and Pomfret are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 16.1%±0.9 U.S.: 17.2% |
17.8%±4.5 U.S.: 17.2% |
18.5%±3.1Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
10.5%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Putnam and Pomfret 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 U.S.: 35.7% |
50.8%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
20% U.S.: 35.7% |
16.8% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±0.6 U.S.: 6.4% |
5.6%±1.9Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.9%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.4%±0.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Pomfret and Lawrence 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 30% below U.S. |
$108,476±$8kHighest 34% above U.S. |
$70,561±$7k 13% below U.S. |
$60,433±$3k 25% below U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $395,500±$11k 19% above U.S. |
$409,100±$28k 23% above U.S. |
$269,200±$11kLowest 19% below U.S. |
$415,200±$23kHighest 25% above U.S. |
| Lawrence and Pomfret are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,155±$27 18% below U.S. |
$1,210±$300 14% below U.S. |
$1,149±$44Lowest 19% below U.S. |
$1,662±$50Highest 18% above U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,953 27% above U.S. |
$5,903Highest 89% above U.S. |
$3,860 24% above U.S. |
$3,422Lowest 10% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52.5%±3.3 U.S.: 51.1% |
61.9%±15.3Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
37.7%±11.6Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
60.6%±3.6 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Pomfret and Lawrence are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 19.6%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
6%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
11.5% U.S.: 12.5% |
17.6% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 35.3% U.S.: 65.2% |
80.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
59.8% U.S.: 65.2% |
28.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1945Lowest 35 yrs older than U.S. |
1978Highest 2 yrs older than U.S. |
1961 19 yrs older than U.S. |
1950 30 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minHighest about the U.S. average |
24 min 11% below U.S. |
25 min 6% below U.S. |
23 minLowest 13% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 7.1%±1.2 U.S.: 15.1% |
13.2%±5.2Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
9%±2.8 U.S.: 15.1% |
6.8%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Pomfret and Putnam 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 | #39 of 149 in CT | #128 of 149 in CT | #278 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Fall River · Greater Fall River Regional Vocational Technical | Pomfret School District | Putnam School District | Lawrence |
| High school in town | B M C Durfee High | None in town | Putnam High School | Lawrence High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.3 |
— | 9.5Lowest |
13.6Highest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet | None yet |
U.S. 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.