Compare towns
Fall River vs Wakefield vs North Westport
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).
Wakefield has the most people working from home (24.6%).
North Westport has the most homeowners (79.6%).
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 | Wakefield | North Westport |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 94,082Highest |
27,793 |
5,289Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.8% MA: +7.4% |
+8.7%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+3.3%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 39.3±1.2Lowest about the MA average |
42.4±1.7 6% above MA |
44.7±2.8Highest 12% above MA |
| North Westport and Wakefield 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% |
20%±2.2Highest MA: 19.4% |
19.6%±5.4Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Wakefield 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% |
19%±1.9Highest MA: 17.9% |
16.3%±3 MA: 17.9% |
| Wakefield and North Westport 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% |
59.7%Highest MA: 47.3% |
17% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±0.6Lowest MA: 7.9% |
4.4%±0.9 MA: 7.9% |
6.1%±3.3Highest MA: 7.9% |
| North Westport and Wakefield 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 |
$134,306±$14kHighest 29% above MA |
$87,582±$17k 16% below MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $395,500±$11kLowest 30% below MA |
$723,500±$24kHighest 29% above MA |
$411,300±$53k 27% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,155±$27Lowest 34% below MA |
$1,958±$102Highest 11% above MA |
$1,662±$723 6% below MA |
| Wakefield and North Westport are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,953 34% below MA |
$7,779Highest 30% above MA |
$2,806Lowest 53% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52.5%±3.3 MA: 51.8% |
43.7%±7.9Lowest MA: 51.8% |
73.3%±40.2Highest MA: 51.8% |
| North Westport 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 MA: 10% |
4.9% MA: 10% |
4.3%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 35.3%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
70.7% MA: 62.5% |
79.6%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1945Lowest 19 yrs older than MA |
1956 8 yrs older than MA |
1963Highest 1 yr older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 min 11% below MA |
33 minHighest 14% above MA |
24 minLowest 18% below MA |
| Work from home | 7.1%±1.2 MA: 18.6% |
24.6%±3.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
4.3%±2.4Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #262 of 282 in MA | #179 of 282 in MA | — |
| School district | Fall River · Greater Fall River Regional Vocational Technical | Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational Technical · Wakefield | — |
| High school in town | B M C Durfee High | Northeast Metro Regional Vocational | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.3Highest |
10.7Lowest |
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| 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.