Compare towns
Freetown vs Townsend vs Warner
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Freetown has the most expensive homes ($518k median).
Warner has the most people working from home (16.6%).
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 | Freetown | Townsend | Warner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 9,285Highest |
9,100 |
2,959Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.8%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+2.3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+3.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 40.9±3.2Lowest 5% above U.S. |
40.9±3.3Lowest 5% above U.S. |
43.7±4Highest 12% above U.S. |
| Warner and Freetown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 21.1%±3.1Highest U.S.: 22% |
21%±3.2 U.S.: 22% |
17.3%±3.3Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Freetown and Townsend are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 17.8%±2.2 U.S.: 17.2% |
17.1%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.4%±3.5Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Warner and Freetown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 40% U.S.: 35.7% |
35.5%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
42.4%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.7%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.1%±2.4 U.S.: 6.4% |
5.3%±1.6Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Warner and Townsend are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $143,884±$15kHighest 78% above U.S. |
$121,528±$23k 51% above U.S. |
$94,022±$18kLowest 16% above U.S. |
| Freetown and Townsend are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $518,200±$30kHighest 56% above U.S. |
$433,200±$22k 30% above U.S. |
$353,100±$22kLowest 6% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,891±$363Highest 34% above U.S. |
$1,469±$313 4% above U.S. |
$1,219±$123Lowest 14% below U.S. |
| Freetown and Townsend are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,188Lowest 66% above U.S. |
$6,031 93% above U.S. |
$7,650Highest 145% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 39.2%±12.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
50.6%±16.8Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
48.7%±21.3 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Townsend and Warner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 3.1%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
8.9%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
8.4% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 86.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
82% U.S.: 65.2% |
74.6%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976Highest 4 yrs older than U.S. |
1976Highest 4 yrs older than U.S. |
1975Lowest 5 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 32 min 23% above U.S. |
37 minHighest 41% above U.S. |
32 minLowest 20% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 7.7%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
10.5%±2.8 U.S.: 15.1% |
16.6%±4.8Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Warner and Townsend 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 | #161 of 282 in MA | #136 of 282 in MA | — |
| School district | Freetown-Lakeville | North Middlesex | Kearsarge Regional School District |
| High school in town | None in town | North Middlesex Regional | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 13.1 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | None yet | None yet |
U.S. 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.