Compare towns
Fall River vs Townsend vs Webster
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).
Townsend has the highest household income ($122k).
Webster has the most affordable homes ($362k 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 | Townsend | Webster |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 94,082Highest |
9,100Lowest |
17,748 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.8% MA: +7.4% |
+2.3%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+6%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 39.3±1.2Lowest about the MA average |
40.9±3.3Highest about the MA average |
39.9±2.9 about the MA average |
| Townsend and Webster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19.9%±1.2 MA: 19.4% |
21%±3.2Highest MA: 19.4% |
19.6%±2.9Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Townsend 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 MA: 17.9% |
17.1%±2.1 MA: 17.9% |
19.6%±2.5Highest MA: 17.9% |
| Webster and Townsend 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% |
35.5%Highest MA: 47.3% |
25.3% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±0.6Lowest MA: 7.9% |
5.1%±2.4 MA: 7.9% |
5.8%±1.6Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Webster and Townsend 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 |
$121,528±$23kHighest 17% above MA |
$72,895±$6k 30% below MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $395,500±$11k 30% below MA |
$433,200±$22kHighest 23% below MA |
$361,500±$12kLowest 36% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,155±$27Lowest 34% below MA |
$1,469±$313Highest 17% below MA |
$1,228±$81 30% below MA |
| Townsend and Webster 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 |
$6,031Highest about the MA average |
$3,999 33% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52.5%±3.3Highest MA: 51.8% |
50.6%±16.8 MA: 51.8% |
45.7%±6.7Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Fall River and Townsend 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% |
8.9%Lowest MA: 10% |
12.7% MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 35.3%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
82%Highest MA: 62.5% |
59.8% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1945Lowest 19 yrs older than MA |
1976Highest 12 yrs newer than MA |
1962 2 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minLowest 11% below MA |
37 minHighest 27% above MA |
31 min 5% above MA |
| Work from home | 7.1%±1.2Lowest MA: 18.6% |
10.5%±2.8Highest MA: 18.6% |
8%±2.5 MA: 18.6% |
| Townsend and Webster 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 | #136 of 282 in MA | #271 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Fall River · Greater Fall River Regional Vocational Technical | North Middlesex | Webster |
| High school in town | B M C Durfee High | North Middlesex Regional | Bartlett High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.3Lowest |
13.1Highest |
11.6 |
| 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.