Compare towns
Methuen vs Fall River vs Westfield
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 most people working from home (12.2%).
Fall River has the most renters (64.7% rent).
Westfield has the most affordable homes ($325k 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 | Methuen | Fall River | Westfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 53,475 |
94,082Highest |
40,378Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +5.8%Highest MA: +7.4% |
-0.6%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 39.9±1.7Highest about the MA average |
39.3±1.2Lowest about the MA average |
39.9±1.8Highest about the MA average |
| Kids under 18 | 21.3%±1.7Highest MA: 19.4% |
19.9%±1.2 MA: 19.4% |
18.1%±2Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Methuen and Fall River 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% |
18.7%±1.5Highest MA: 17.9% |
| Westfield 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% |
33.2%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.7%±1 MA: 7.9% |
4.1%±0.6Lowest MA: 7.9% |
10%±0.9Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $113,310±$7kHighest 9% above MA |
$56,673±$3kLowest 45% below MA |
$87,753±$6k 16% below MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $499,700±$17kHighest 11% below MA |
$395,500±$11k 30% below MA |
$325,100±$11kLowest 42% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,749±$91Highest about the MA average |
$1,155±$27 34% below MA |
$1,117±$60Lowest 37% below MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,061Highest 16% below MA |
$3,953Lowest 34% below MA |
$4,746 21% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 48.4%±6.5 MA: 51.8% |
52.5%±3.3Highest MA: 51.8% |
46.5%±5.8Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Fall River and Methuen are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.9%Lowest MA: 10% |
19.6%Highest MA: 10% |
10.7% MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 72.3%Highest MA: 62.5% |
35.3%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
68.6% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1968Highest 4 yrs newer than MA |
1945Lowest 19 yrs older than MA |
1964 same as MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minHighest 5% below MA |
26 minLowest 11% below MA |
27 min 9% below MA |
| Work from home | 12.2%±2.3Highest MA: 18.6% |
7.1%±1.2Lowest MA: 18.6% |
8.6%±2.2 MA: 18.6% |
| Methuen and Westfield 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 | #197 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Methuen | Fall River · Greater Fall River Regional Vocational Technical | Westfield |
| High school in town | Methuen High | B M C Durfee High | Westfield 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.