Compare towns
Lawrence vs Rye 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%).
Rye has the most people working from home (30.9%).
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 | Rye | New Bedford |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 88,736 |
5,611Lowest |
100,998Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +16.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+4.6%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.3% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 32.6±0.9Lowest 16% below U.S. |
55.1±3Highest 42% above U.S. |
37±0.8 5% below U.S. |
| Kids under 18 | 26.3%±1.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
18.2%±4Lowest 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% |
31.7%±5.3Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
15.4%±0.9 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 16.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
61.5%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
17% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±0.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.2%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.1%±0.5 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $60,433±$3k 25% below U.S. |
$140,655±$39kHighest 74% above U.S. |
$56,981±$3kLowest 29% below U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $415,200±$23k 25% above U.S. |
$1,028,100±$89kHighest 209% above U.S. |
$357,300±$6kLowest 7% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,662±$50 18% above U.S. |
$1,781±$156Highest 26% above U.S. |
$1,137±$26Lowest 20% below U.S. |
| Rye 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. |
$7,519Highest 141% above U.S. |
$4,338 39% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 60.6%±3.6Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
44.3%±16.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
52.6%±3.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Below poverty line | 17.6% U.S.: 12.5% |
6.9%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
20.6%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 28.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
85.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
40.3% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1950 30 yrs older than U.S. |
1972Highest 8 yrs older than U.S. |
1938Lowest 42 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 minLowest 13% below U.S. |
29 minHighest 9% above U.S. |
25 min 6% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 6.8%±1.2 U.S.: 15.1% |
30.9%±7.6Highest 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 | #2 of 120 in NH | #263 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Lawrence | Rye School District | New Bedford · Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical |
| High school in town | Lawrence High School | None in town | New Bedford High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 13.6Highest |
— | 13.5Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.