Compare towns
Fall River vs Sharon vs Walpole
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).
Sharon has the highest household income ($192k).
Walpole has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.6%).
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 | Sharon | Walpole |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 94,082Highest |
18,574Lowest |
26,388 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.8% MA: +7.4% |
+5.5%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+9.6%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 39.3±1.2Lowest about the MA average |
42.5±1Highest 6% above MA |
40.9±1.2 about the MA average |
| Sharon and Walpole are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19.9%±1.2Lowest MA: 19.4% |
27.2%±2.8Highest MA: 19.4% |
25.1%±2.4 MA: 19.4% |
| Sharon and Walpole 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% |
17.6%±2.4Highest MA: 17.9% |
16.9%±1.7 MA: 17.9% |
| Sharon and Walpole 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% |
76.7%Highest MA: 47.3% |
67.4% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±0.6Lowest MA: 7.9% |
5%±1.2 MA: 7.9% |
5.1%±1.1Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Walpole and Sharon 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 |
$191,835±$19kHighest 85% above MA |
$171,500±$16k 65% above MA |
| Sharon and Walpole are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $395,500±$11kLowest 30% below MA |
$737,100±$33kHighest 31% above MA |
$687,100±$20k 22% above MA |
| Sharon and Walpole 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 |
$2,310±$345Highest 31% above MA |
$2,205±$222 25% above MA |
| Sharon and Walpole 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 |
$10,000+Highest at least 67% above MA |
$8,523 42% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52.5%±3.3Highest MA: 51.8% |
49%±16.2 MA: 51.8% |
37.8%±9.1Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Fall River and Sharon 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% |
3.8% MA: 10% |
3.6%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 35.3%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
87.7%Highest MA: 62.5% |
83.5% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1945Lowest 19 yrs older than MA |
1970 6 yrs newer than MA |
1977Highest 13 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minLowest 11% below MA |
39 minHighest 33% above MA |
34 min 15% above MA |
| Work from home | 7.1%±1.2Lowest MA: 18.6% |
31.5%±4.3Highest MA: 18.6% |
28.2%±4.3 MA: 18.6% |
| Sharon and Walpole 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 | #23 of 282 in MA | #107 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Fall River · Greater Fall River Regional Vocational Technical | Sharon | Norfolk County Agricultural · Walpole |
| High school in town | B M C Durfee High | Sharon High | Walpole High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.3Lowest |
11.9Highest |
11.3Lowest |
| 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.