Compare towns
Hancock vs Lancaster vs New Braintree
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Hancock has the shortest commute (22 min average).
Lancaster has the most people working from home (33.6%).
New Braintree has the most homeowners (89.8%).
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 | Hancock | Lancaster | New Braintree |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 752Lowest |
8,606Highest |
973 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.6%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+4.8% MA: +7.4% |
-0.3%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 47.1±11.1 18% above MA |
43.1±4.9Lowest 8% above MA |
47.8±4.6Highest 20% above MA |
| New Braintree and Hancock are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19.1%±4.9Lowest MA: 19.4% |
19.2%±4 MA: 19.4% |
20%±4.4Highest MA: 19.4% |
| New Braintree and Lancaster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 27.3%±5.3Highest MA: 17.9% |
19.9%±4.2Lowest MA: 17.9% |
25.6%±2.5 MA: 17.9% |
| Hancock and New Braintree are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 35.7%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
50.3%Highest MA: 47.3% |
41.4% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.5%±3.5Highest MA: 7.9% |
3%±1.8 MA: 7.9% |
2.9%±1.6Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| Hancock and Lancaster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $96,250±$26kLowest 7% below MA |
$134,833±$27kHighest 30% above MA |
$99,500±$8k 4% below MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $375,500±$21kLowest 33% below MA |
$519,100±$60kHighest 8% below MA |
$408,800±$27k 27% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,268±$415Lowest 28% below MA |
$2,338±$539Highest 33% above MA |
$1,484±$316 16% below MA |
| Lancaster and New Braintree are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,018Lowest 83% below MA |
$7,235Highest 21% above MA |
$5,508 8% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.1%±36.3Lowest MA: 51.8% |
68.3%±36.7Highest MA: 51.8% |
51.4%±51.2 MA: 51.8% |
| Lancaster and New Braintree are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 10.6%Highest MA: 10% |
1.4%Lowest MA: 10% |
7.2% MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.8%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
85.1% MA: 62.5% |
89.8%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1989Highest 25 yrs newer than MA |
1971Lowest 7 yrs newer than MA |
1987 23 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 22 minLowest 25% below MA |
32 min 9% above MA |
37 minHighest 26% above MA |
| Work from home | 10.4%±4.3 MA: 18.6% |
33.6%±9.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
7.4%±3.4Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | #145 of 282 in MA | — |
| School district | Hancock | Nashoba | Quabbin |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | None in town |
| 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.