Compare towns
New Bedford vs Fairhaven
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
New Bedford has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.3%).
Fairhaven has the most people working from home (11.4%).
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 | New Bedford | Fairhaven |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 100,998Highest |
15,903Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.3%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+0.3%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 37±0.8Lowest 8% below MA |
48.5±3.4Highest 21% above MA |
| Kids under 18 | 23.9%±1.2Highest MA: 19.4% |
16.9%±2.7Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 15.4%±0.9Lowest MA: 17.9% |
24.9%±2.9Highest MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 17%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
32.5%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±0.5Highest MA: 7.9% |
3.3%±1Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| New Bedford and Fairhaven are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $56,981±$3kLowest 45% below MA |
$95,965±$19kHighest 8% below MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $357,300±$6kLowest 36% below MA |
$446,700±$19kHighest 21% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,137±$26Highest 35% below MA |
$1,118±$79Lowest 37% below MA |
| New Bedford and Fairhaven are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,338Highest 28% below MA |
$3,566Lowest 40% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52.6%±3.2Highest MA: 51.8% |
51.1%±14Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| New Bedford and Fairhaven are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 20.6%Highest MA: 10% |
8.3%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 40.3%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
74.4%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 26 yrs older than MA |
1952Highest 12 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 25 minLowest 15% below MA |
29 minHighest about the MA average |
| Work from home | 5.4%±0.9Lowest MA: 18.6% |
11.4%±3.3Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #263 of 282 in MA | #126 of 282 in MA |
| School district | New Bedford · Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical | Fairhaven |
| High school in town | New Bedford High | Fairhaven High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 13.5Highest |
11.4Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in History | 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.