Compare towns
Lawrence vs Thompson vs Upton
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 the most renters (71.9% rent).
Thompson has the most affordable homes ($292k median).
Upton has the most people working from home (22.8%).
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 | Lawrence | Thompson | Upton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 88,736Highest |
9,337 |
8,189Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +16.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
— | +6.1%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 32.6±0.9Lowest 16% below U.S. |
54.1±2.2Highest 39% above U.S. |
46.4±4.8 19% above U.S. |
| Kids under 18 | 26.3%±1.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
11.4%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 22% |
23.2%±4.5 U.S.: 22% |
| Lawrence and Upton 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%±4.3Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.7%±4.9 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Thompson and Upton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 16.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
21.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
53.5%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±0.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.9%±1.3 U.S.: 6.4% |
2.4%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $60,433±$3kLowest 25% below U.S. |
$93,629±$18k 16% above U.S. |
$155,508±$33kHighest 93% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $415,200±$23k 25% above U.S. |
$291,900±$24kLowest 12% below U.S. |
$576,700±$41kHighest 73% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,662±$50Highest 18% above U.S. |
$1,012±$344 28% below U.S. |
$948±$599Lowest 33% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,422Lowest 10% above U.S. |
$3,822 23% above U.S. |
$8,376Highest 169% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 60.6%±3.6Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
54%±18.7 U.S.: 51.1% |
52.8%±31Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Lawrence and Thompson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 17.6%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
5.9% U.S.: 12.5% |
3.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 28.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
84.3% U.S.: 65.2% |
86.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1950Lowest 30 yrs older than U.S. |
1963 17 yrs older than U.S. |
1981Highest 1 yr newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 minLowest 13% below U.S. |
32 min 20% above U.S. |
35 minHighest 34% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 6.8%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
13.1%±4.4 U.S.: 15.1% |
22.8%±5.3Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Upton and Thompson 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 | #278 of 282 in MA | #130 of 149 in CT | #46 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Lawrence | Thompson School District | Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical · Mendon-Upton |
| High school in town | Lawrence High School | Tourtellotte Memorial High School | Blackstone Valley |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 13.6Highest |
7.9Lowest |
11.2 |
| 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.