Compare towns
New Braintree vs Webster vs North Brookfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
New Braintree has the most homeowners (89.8%).
Webster has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6%).
North Brookfield has the most people working from home (13.1%).
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 Braintree | Webster | North Brookfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 973Lowest |
17,748Highest |
4,760 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -0.3%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+6%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+1.2% MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 47.8±4.6Highest 20% above MA |
39.9±2.9Lowest about the MA average |
45.2±9.4 13% above MA |
| New Braintree and North Brookfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 20%±4.4Highest MA: 19.4% |
19.6%±2.9 MA: 19.4% |
16.9%±4.2Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| New Braintree and Webster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 25.6%±2.5Highest MA: 17.9% |
19.6%±2.5 MA: 17.9% |
18.7%±5Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 41.4%Highest MA: 47.3% |
25.3%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
26.3% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.9%±1.6Lowest MA: 7.9% |
5.8%±1.6Highest MA: 7.9% |
4.5%±2.3 MA: 7.9% |
| Webster and North Brookfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $99,500±$8kHighest 4% below MA |
$72,895±$6kLowest 30% below MA |
$79,285±$11k 24% below MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $408,800±$27kHighest 27% below MA |
$361,500±$12k 36% below MA |
$359,100±$32kLowest 36% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,484±$316Highest 16% below MA |
$1,228±$81 30% below MA |
$981±$63Lowest 44% below MA |
| New Braintree and Webster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,508Highest 8% below MA |
$3,999Lowest 33% below MA |
$4,176 30% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.4%±51.2 MA: 51.8% |
45.7%±6.7Lowest MA: 51.8% |
52.4%±15.8Highest MA: 51.8% |
| North Brookfield and New Braintree are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.2%Lowest MA: 10% |
12.7% MA: 10% |
12.9%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 89.8%Highest MA: 62.5% |
59.8%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
69.3% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1987Highest 23 yrs newer than MA |
1962 2 yrs older than MA |
1953Lowest 11 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 37 min 26% above MA |
31 minLowest 5% above MA |
37 minHighest 28% above MA |
| Work from home | 7.4%±3.4Lowest MA: 18.6% |
8%±2.5 MA: 18.6% |
13.1%±4.4Highest MA: 18.6% |
| North Brookfield and Webster 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 | — | #271 of 282 in MA | #270 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Quabbin | Webster | North Brookfield |
| High school in town | None in town | Bartlett High School | North Brookfield High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 11.6Highest |
5.5Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.