Compare towns
Northbridge vs Lancaster vs Amesbury
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Northbridge has the most affordable homes ($449k median).
Lancaster has the most people working from home (33.6%).
Amesbury has the shortest commute (29 min average).
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 | Northbridge | Lancaster | Amesbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 16,458 |
8,606Lowest |
17,403Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+4.8%Highest MA: +7.4% |
— |
| Median age | 43.8±2.6Highest 9% above MA |
43.1±4.9Lowest 8% above MA |
43.7±1.7 9% above MA |
| Northbridge and Amesbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 21.1%±2.9Highest MA: 19.4% |
19.2%±4Lowest MA: 19.4% |
20%±2.4 MA: 19.4% |
| Northbridge and Amesbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 16.4%±2.1Lowest MA: 17.9% |
19.9%±4.2Highest MA: 17.9% |
18.2%±2.1 MA: 17.9% |
| Lancaster and Amesbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 36.9%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
50.3%Highest MA: 47.3% |
44.8% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.3%±1.3Highest MA: 7.9% |
3%±1.8Lowest MA: 7.9% |
4.1%±1.3 MA: 7.9% |
| Northbridge and Amesbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $111,319±$19k 7% above MA |
$134,833±$27kHighest 30% above MA |
$103,554±$12kLowest about the MA average |
| Lancaster and Northbridge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $448,600±$15kLowest 20% below MA |
$519,100±$60k 8% below MA |
$519,300±$32kHighest 8% below MA |
| Amesbury and Lancaster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,207±$102Lowest 31% below MA |
$2,338±$539Highest 33% above MA |
$1,683±$115 4% below MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,821Lowest 20% below MA |
$7,235 21% above MA |
$7,360Highest 23% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.2%±9.8Lowest MA: 51.8% |
68.3%±36.7Highest MA: 51.8% |
66.7%±10.7 MA: 51.8% |
| Lancaster and Amesbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.9%Highest MA: 10% |
1.4%Lowest MA: 10% |
7.1% MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 70.5% MA: 62.5% |
85.1%Highest MA: 62.5% |
68.6%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1973Highest 9 yrs newer than MA |
1971 7 yrs newer than MA |
1969Lowest 5 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 31 min 7% above MA |
32 minHighest 9% above MA |
29 minLowest about the MA average |
| Work from home | 16.2%±3.6Lowest MA: 18.6% |
33.6%±9.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
17.4%±2.8 MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #226 of 282 in MA | #145 of 282 in MA | #151 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Northbridge | Nashoba | Amesbury |
| High school in town | Northbridge High | None in town | Amesbury High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.8Lowest |
— | 10.9Highest |
| 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.