Compare towns
Fall River vs Topsfield vs New Bedford
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).
Topsfield has the most people working from home (29.4%).
New Bedford has the most affordable homes ($357k 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 | Topsfield | New Bedford |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 94,082 |
6,564Lowest |
100,998Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.8%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+8%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+6.3% MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 39.3±1.2 about the MA average |
42.2±1.8Highest 6% above MA |
37±0.8Lowest 8% below MA |
| Topsfield and Fall River 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% |
24.8%±4.7Highest MA: 19.4% |
23.9%±1.2 MA: 19.4% |
| Topsfield and New Bedford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 16.1%±0.9 MA: 17.9% |
22.4%±3.8Highest MA: 17.9% |
15.4%±0.9Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 16.4%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
71.8%Highest MA: 47.3% |
17% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±0.6Highest MA: 7.9% |
3.8%±1.9Lowest MA: 7.9% |
4.1%±0.5Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $56,673±$3kLowest 45% below MA |
$195,718±$16kHighest 88% above MA |
$56,981±$3k 45% below MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $395,500±$11k 30% below MA |
$853,400±$40kHighest 52% above MA |
$357,300±$6kLowest 36% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,155±$27Highest 34% below MA |
$1,115±$538Lowest 37% below MA |
$1,137±$26 35% 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 |
$10,000+Highest at least 67% above MA |
$4,338 28% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52.5%±3.3 MA: 51.8% |
41.9%±40.8Lowest MA: 51.8% |
52.6%±3.2Highest MA: 51.8% |
| New Bedford 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% MA: 10% |
7.5%Lowest MA: 10% |
20.6%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 35.3%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
90.4%Highest MA: 62.5% |
40.3% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1945 19 yrs older than MA |
1969Highest 5 yrs newer than MA |
1938Lowest 26 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 min 11% below MA |
28 minHighest 5% below MA |
25 minLowest 15% below MA |
| Work from home | 7.1%±1.2 MA: 18.6% |
29.4%±8.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
5.4%±0.9Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #262 of 282 in MA | #172 of 282 in MA | #263 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Fall River · Greater Fall River Regional Vocational Technical | Topsfield | New Bedford · Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical |
| High school in town | B M C Durfee High | None in town | New Bedford High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.3Lowest |
— | 13.5Highest |
| 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.