Compare towns
Haverhill vs Ogunquit vs Methuen vs Westfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Haverhill has the most renters (37.2% rent).
Ogunquit has the most people working from home (43.3%).
Westfield has the most affordable homes ($325k 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 | Haverhill | Ogunquit | Methuen | Westfield |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 67,698Highest |
1,379Lowest |
53,475 |
40,378 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +11.3% U.S.: +7.4% |
+76.8%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
— | -0.6%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 39.4±1.1Lowest about the U.S. average |
62.8±4.8Highest 61% above U.S. |
39.9±1.7 about the U.S. average |
39.9±1.8 about the U.S. average |
| Kids under 18 | 21.3%±1.5Highest U.S.: 22% |
5.7%±3.2Lowest U.S.: 22% |
21.3%±1.7Highest U.S.: 22% |
18.1%±2 U.S.: 22% |
| Age 65+ | 15.5%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
43.6%±10.1Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
17.2%±1.3 U.S.: 17.2% |
18.7%±1.5 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 32.6% U.S.: 35.7% |
63.5%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
31%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
33.2% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.5%±0.6 U.S.: 6.4% |
4.2%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
6.7%±1 U.S.: 6.4% |
10%±0.9Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $88,326±$4k 9% above U.S. |
$114,259±$56kHighest 42% above U.S. |
$113,310±$7k 40% above U.S. |
$87,753±$6kLowest 9% above U.S. |
| Ogunquit and Methuen are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $453,900±$9k 36% above U.S. |
$875,700±$79kHighest 163% above U.S. |
$499,700±$17k 50% above U.S. |
$325,100±$11kLowest about the U.S. average |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,668±$49 18% above U.S. |
— | $1,749±$91Highest 24% above U.S. |
$1,117±$60Lowest 21% below U.S. |
| Methuen and Haverhill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,772 53% above U.S. |
$4,473Lowest 43% above U.S. |
$5,061Highest 62% above U.S. |
$4,746 52% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 60.2%±5.3Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
0%±61.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
48.4%±6.5 U.S.: 51.1% |
46.5%±5.8 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Below poverty line | 11.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
3.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
7.9% U.S.: 12.5% |
10.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 62.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
94.3%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
72.3% U.S.: 65.2% |
68.6% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1964Lowest 16 yrs older than U.S. |
1978Highest 2 yrs older than U.S. |
1968 12 yrs older than U.S. |
1964Lowest 16 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 27 min 4% above U.S. |
26 minLowest about the U.S. average |
28 minHighest 5% above U.S. |
27 min about the U.S. average |
| Work from home | 12.5%±1.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
43.3%±12.4Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
12.2%±2.3 U.S.: 15.1% |
8.6%±2.2Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #243 of 282 in MA | — | #236 of 282 in MA | #197 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Haverhill · Whittier Regional Vocational Technical | — | Methuen | Westfield |
| High school in town | Haverhill High | — | Methuen High | Westfield High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5 |
— | 13.1Highest |
11.9Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | 6 photos → | 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.