Compare towns
Methuen vs Fall River vs Milford
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Methuen has the highest household income ($113k).
Fall River has the most renters (64.7% rent).
Milford has the most people working from home (14.5%).
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 | Methuen | Fall River | Milford |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 53,475 |
94,082Highest |
30,431Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +5.8%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+8.5%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 39.9±1.7Highest about the MA average |
39.3±1.2 about the MA average |
38.9±1.8Lowest about the MA average |
| Methuen and Fall River are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 21.3%±1.7Highest MA: 19.4% |
19.9%±1.2Lowest MA: 19.4% |
20.7%±2.4 MA: 19.4% |
| Methuen and Milford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 17.2%±1.3 MA: 17.9% |
16.1%±0.9Lowest MA: 17.9% |
18.8%±2Highest MA: 17.9% |
| Milford and Methuen are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 31% MA: 47.3% |
16.4%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
35.3%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.7%±1Highest MA: 7.9% |
4.1%±0.6 MA: 7.9% |
3.9%±1.1Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $113,310±$7kHighest 9% above MA |
$56,673±$3kLowest 45% below MA |
$96,365±$4k 7% below MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $499,700±$17kHighest 11% below MA |
$395,500±$11kLowest 30% below MA |
$476,700±$12k 15% below MA |
| Methuen and Milford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,749±$91 about the MA average |
$1,155±$27Lowest 34% below MA |
$1,909±$137Highest 8% above MA |
| Milford and Methuen are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,061 16% below MA |
$3,953Lowest 34% below MA |
$5,869Highest about the MA average |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 48.4%±6.5Lowest MA: 51.8% |
52.5%±3.3 MA: 51.8% |
56.8%±8.5Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Milford and Fall River are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.9% MA: 10% |
19.6%Highest MA: 10% |
7.6%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 72.3%Highest MA: 62.5% |
35.3%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
65.2% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1968 4 yrs newer than MA |
1945Lowest 19 yrs older than MA |
1971Highest 7 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 5% below MA |
26 minLowest 11% below MA |
37 minHighest 27% above MA |
| Work from home | 12.2%±2.3 MA: 18.6% |
7.1%±1.2Lowest MA: 18.6% |
14.5%±2.2Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Milford and Methuen 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 | #236 of 282 in MA | #262 of 282 in MA | #213 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Methuen | Fall River · Greater Fall River Regional Vocational Technical | Milford |
| High school in town | Methuen High | B M C Durfee High | Milford High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 13.1Highest |
11.3Lowest |
11.9 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.