Compare towns

Fall River vs Scituate vs Freetown

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 most renters (64.7% rent).
Scituate has the most people working from home (13.3%).
Freetown has the highest household income ($144k).

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.

MeasureFall RiverScituateFreetown
People
Population
94,082Highest
10,517
9,285Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census
+5.8%Highest
U.S.: +7.4%
+0.5%Lowest
U.S.: +7.4%
+3.8%
U.S.: +7.4%
Median age
39.3±1.2Lowest
about the U.S. average
49.9±4Highest
28% above U.S.
40.9±3.2
5% above U.S.
Kids under 18
19.9%±1.2
U.S.: 22%
14.9%±3.3Lowest
U.S.: 22%
21.1%±3.1Highest
U.S.: 22%
Freetown 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
U.S.: 17.2%
25.2%±4.3Highest
U.S.: 17.2%
17.8%±2.2
U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+
16.4%Lowest
U.S.: 35.7%
34.7%
U.S.: 35.7%
40%Highest
U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents
4.1%±0.6
U.S.: 6.4%
4.2%±1.7Highest
U.S.: 6.4%
3.7%±1.2Lowest
U.S.: 6.4%
Scituate and Fall River 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.
$112,315±$23k
39% above U.S.
$143,884±$15kHighest
78% above U.S.
Freetown and Scituate are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied
$395,500±$11kLowest
19% above U.S.
$449,300±$26k
35% above U.S.
$518,200±$30kHighest
56% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly
$1,155±$27Lowest
18% below U.S.
$1,489±$251
5% above U.S.
$1,891±$363Highest
34% above U.S.
Freetown and Scituate are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly
$3,953Lowest
27% above U.S.
$5,265Highest
69% above U.S.
$5,188
66% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent
52.5%±3.3
U.S.: 51.1%
59.6%±25.9Highest
U.S.: 51.1%
39.2%±12.1Lowest
U.S.: 51.1%
Scituate 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
U.S.: 12.5%
5%
U.S.: 12.5%
3.1%Lowest
U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes
35.3%Lowest
U.S.: 65.2%
87.3%Highest
U.S.: 65.2%
86.1%
U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year
1945Lowest
35 yrs older than U.S.
1966
14 yrs older than U.S.
1976Highest
4 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way
26 minLowest
about the U.S. average
31 min
16% above U.S.
32 minHighest
23% above U.S.
Work from home
7.1%±1.2Lowest
U.S.: 15.1%
13.3%±5.1Highest
U.S.: 15.1%
7.7%±2.8
U.S.: 15.1%
Scituate and Freetown 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 #17 of 38 in RI #161 of 282 in MA
School district Fall River · Greater Fall River Regional Vocational Technical Scituate Freetown-Lakeville
High school in town B M C Durfee High Scituate High School None in town
Students per teacherat that high school
11.3Highest
10.8Lowest
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On TownTapestry
Old photos in History 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.