Compare towns
Lancaster vs Plympton vs Upton vs Devens
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Lancaster has the most people working from home (33.6%).
Plympton has the most homeowners (93.1%).
Upton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.1%).
Devens has the highest household income ($189k).
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 | Lancaster | Plympton | Upton | Devens |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,606Highest |
2,935 |
8,189 |
1,723Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4.8% MA: +7.4% |
+3.9% MA: +7.4% |
+6.1%Highest MA: +7.4% |
-7.8%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 43.1±4.9Lowest 8% above MA |
46.4±4.2 16% above MA |
46.4±4.8 16% above MA |
48.6±4.3Highest 22% above MA |
| Devens and Plympton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 19.2%±4 MA: 19.4% |
21.6%±5 MA: 19.4% |
23.2%±4.5Highest MA: 19.4% |
5.5%±3.9Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Upton and Plympton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 19.9%±4.2 MA: 17.9% |
22.7%±5Highest MA: 17.9% |
20.7%±4.9 MA: 17.9% |
14%±5Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Plympton and Upton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 50.3% MA: 47.3% |
38.4% MA: 47.3% |
53.5%Highest MA: 47.3% |
21.9%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3%±1.8 MA: 7.9% |
3.2%±1.8 MA: 7.9% |
2.4%±1.3Lowest MA: 7.9% |
5.2%±4.2Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Devens and Plympton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $134,833±$27k 30% above MA |
$126,736±$20kLowest 22% above MA |
$155,508±$33k 50% above MA |
$189,250±$63kHighest 82% above MA |
| Devens and Upton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $519,100±$60k 8% below MA |
$517,800±$52kLowest 8% below MA |
$576,700±$41kHighest about the MA average |
$556,800±$96k about the MA average |
| Upton and Devens are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,338±$539Highest 33% above MA |
$555±$148Lowest 69% below MA |
$948±$599 46% below MA |
$1,500±$539 15% below MA |
| Lancaster and Devens are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $7,235 21% above MA |
$6,628 11% above MA |
$8,376Highest 40% above MA |
$5,556Lowest 7% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 68.3%±36.7 MA: 51.8% |
50.8%±40.6Lowest MA: 51.8% |
52.8%±31 MA: 51.8% |
85.4%±64.7Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Devens and Lancaster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 1.4%Lowest MA: 10% |
10.3% MA: 10% |
3.2% MA: 10% |
25.3%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 85.1% MA: 62.5% |
93.1%Highest MA: 62.5% |
86.7% MA: 62.5% |
79.3%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1971 7 yrs newer than MA |
1981Highest 17 yrs newer than MA |
1981Highest 17 yrs newer than MA |
1950Lowest 14 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 32 min 9% above MA |
33 min 13% above MA |
35 minHighest 22% above MA |
28 minLowest 4% below MA |
| Work from home | 33.6%±9.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
19.3%±6Lowest MA: 18.6% |
22.8%±5.3 MA: 18.6% |
28.5%±11.5 MA: 18.6% |
| Lancaster and Devens 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 | #145 of 282 in MA | #110 of 282 in MA | #46 of 282 in MA | — |
| School district | Nashoba | Plympton | Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical · Mendon-Upton | — |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | Blackstone Valley | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 11.2 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.