Compare towns
North Windham vs Springfield vs Worcester
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
North Windham has the most people working from home (20.9%).
Springfield has the most affordable homes ($245k median).
Worcester has grown the fastest since 2010 (+14.1%).
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 | North Windham | Springfield | Worcester |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 5,417Lowest |
154,749 |
207,055Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.5% U.S.: +7.4% |
+1.9%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+14.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 42±3Highest 8% above U.S. |
33.7±0.5Lowest 13% below U.S. |
33.9±0.5 13% below U.S. |
| Kids under 18 | 16.6%±4.1Lowest U.S.: 22% |
24.2%±0.9Highest U.S.: 22% |
19.6%±0.8 U.S.: 22% |
| Age 65+ | 18.4%±3.6Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
13.2%±0.7Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
13.3%±0.6 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 37%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
20.5%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
35.2% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.4%±2.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
7.5%±0.5 U.S.: 6.4% |
14.1%±0.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $88,522±$8kHighest 10% above U.S. |
$52,656±$2kLowest 35% below U.S. |
$70,102±$2k 13% below U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $342,800±$29k 3% above U.S. |
$245,000±$4kLowest 26% below U.S. |
$374,400±$7kHighest 13% above U.S. |
| Worcester and North Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,248±$604 12% below U.S. |
$1,144±$55Lowest 19% below U.S. |
$1,487±$38Highest 5% above U.S. |
| Worcester and North Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,546Lowest 14% above U.S. |
$3,695 18% above U.S. |
$4,733Highest 52% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 30.7%±14.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
57.7%±3.1Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
54.2%±2.9 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Springfield and Worcester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 6.1%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
25.8%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
19.6% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 80.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
49.6% U.S.: 65.2% |
42.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980Highest same as U.S. |
1952 28 yrs older than U.S. |
1951Lowest 29 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minHighest about the U.S. average |
20 minLowest 23% below U.S. |
24 min 9% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 20.9%±6.9Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
8.4%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
11.5%±1 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | #276 of 282 in MA | #266 of 282 in MA |
| School district | — | Springfield | Ma Academy for Math and Science · Worcester |
| High school in town | — | Springfield Central High | South High Community |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.2Lowest |
14.6Highest |
| 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.