Compare towns
Foster vs Hunnewell 176 miles apart. The biggest differences: jobs per worker (7.5× in Foster) and property tax bill (+62% in Hunnewell).
Where each one shines Two towns, two different strengths What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.
Foster A small town of 65
Quiet strengths Foster doesn’t stand out on the data we have Neighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Foster →
Hunnewell A small town of 130
Quiet strengths Hunnewell doesn’t stand out on the data we have Neighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Hunnewell →
The biggest differences Where they differ most The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.
★ What stands out · Monthly cost A typical home costs $1,410 more a month in Hunnewell A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.
Down payment3.5% 10% 20% Rate
Foster $420 /mo
Typical home $75K (Census) · tax rate 0.48% · Housing →
Hunnewell $1,840 /mo
Typical home $299K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.07% · or rent about $419/mo · Housing →
The difference: $1,410 a month , about $17,000 a year , between Hunnewell and Foster.
Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.
Life in each What daily life feels like in each The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.
Outdoors & history
Famous people born here — 1
A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.
Where they are 176 miles apart Straight-line miles between town centers.
Foster ↔ Hunnewell 176 miles apart
Everything, side by side What matters to you? Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.
Raising kids Affordability Owning a home Short commute Working from home Younger crowd Settled, older crowd Growing town Outdoorsy Walkable streets
Population
65 Lowest 130 Highest
Median age
58.8 ±15.5 Lowest 51% above MO 59.3 ±15.8 Highest 52% above MO
Kids under 18
1.5% ±48.9 Lowest MO: 22.3% 18.5% ±12.4 Highest MO: 22.3%
Age 65+
27.7% ±46.4 Lowest MO: 17.9% 35.4% ±21.7 Highest MO: 17.9%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+
1.8% Lowest MO: 32.4% 5.7% Highest MO: 32.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents
0% ±26.1 MO: 5.7% 0% ±13.1 MO: 5.7%
Household incomemedian
— $49,375 ±$27k 30% below MO
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied
$75,000 ±$68k Highest 67% below MO $53,800 ±$25k Lowest 77% below MO
Rentmedian gross, monthly
— $419 ±$65 59% below MO
Property taxmedian, yearly
$357 Lowest 82% below MO $578 Highest 70% below MO
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent
63.6% ±100 Highest MO: 45.6% 52.9% ±100 Lowest MO: 45.6%
Below poverty line
26.2% Highest MO: 12.6% 15.4% Lowest MO: 12.6%
Homeownersof occupied homes
70.3% Lowest MO: 68.1% 71.6% Highest MO: 68.1%
Typical home builtmedian year
1978 Highest same as MO 1968 Lowest 10 yrs older than MO
Average commuteone way
37 min Highest 57% above MO 32 min Lowest 37% above MO
Work from home
4.2% ±7.7 Highest MO: 13% 0% ±26.7 Lowest MO: 13%
Work in townworking residents
0% 0%
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line
32.3 mi Highest 31.8 mi Lowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub
0.30 Highest 0.04 Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town
Butler (11%) Shelbina (20%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others
Few work in Hunnewell Few work in Foster
Conserved landshare of the town
0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles
0.1 mi Highest 0.0 mi Lowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi
0.2 mi Highest 0.0 mi Lowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map
0 0
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure
73.5 Highest 48.8 Lowest
“±” Census margin of error ACS 2020–2024
Deciding? Ask the people who live there The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.
Foster or Hunnewell: which would you pick? → What’s it really like to live in Foster? → Moving to Foster: what should I know? →
Your question goes to Foster’s Town Square.
Hunnewell or Foster: which would you pick? → What’s it really like to live in Hunnewell? → Moving to Hunnewell: what should I know? →
Your question goes to Hunnewell’s Town Square.
Add a town Set another town beside Foster and Hunnewell One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.
Towns like Foster Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.
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