Compare towns
Lawrence vs Exeter vs New Bedford
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Lawrence has grown the fastest since 2010 (+16.7%).
Exeter has the most people working from home (19.9%).
New Bedford has the most affordable homes ($357k 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 | Lawrence | Exeter | New Bedford |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 88,736 |
16,151Lowest |
100,998Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +16.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+12.2% U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 32.6±0.9Lowest 16% below U.S. |
45.8±2.3Highest 18% above U.S. |
37±0.8 5% below U.S. |
| Kids under 18 | 26.3%±1.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
17%±2.7Lowest U.S.: 22% |
23.9%±1.2 U.S.: 22% |
| Lawrence and New Bedford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 10.5%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
24.4%±2.8Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
15.4%±0.9 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 16.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
59.2%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
17% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±0.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
6.1%±1.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.1%±0.5Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Exeter and Lawrence are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $60,433±$3k 25% below U.S. |
$110,346±$13kHighest 37% above U.S. |
$56,981±$3kLowest 29% below U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $415,200±$23k 25% above U.S. |
$456,600±$21kHighest 37% above U.S. |
$357,300±$6kLowest 7% above U.S. |
| Exeter and Lawrence are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,662±$50 18% above U.S. |
$1,856±$223Highest 31% above U.S. |
$1,137±$26Lowest 20% below U.S. |
| Exeter and Lawrence are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,422Lowest 10% above U.S. |
$8,814Highest 183% above U.S. |
$4,338 39% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 60.6%±3.6Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
59%±11.3 U.S.: 51.1% |
52.6%±3.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Lawrence and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 17.6% U.S.: 12.5% |
4.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
20.6%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 28.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
69.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
40.3% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1950 30 yrs older than U.S. |
1979Highest 1 yr older than U.S. |
1938Lowest 42 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 minLowest 13% below U.S. |
25 minHighest 6% below U.S. |
25 min 6% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 6.8%±1.2 U.S.: 15.1% |
19.9%±3.7Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
5.4%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #278 of 282 in MA | #22 of 120 in NH | #263 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Lawrence | Exeter Region Cooperative School District · Exeter School District | New Bedford · Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical |
| High school in town | Lawrence High School | Exeter High School | New Bedford High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 13.6Highest |
12.1Lowest |
13.5 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 59 photos → | 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.