Compare towns
Orange vs Plainfield vs Ware vs Athol
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Orange has the most affordable homes ($246k median).
Plainfield has the highest household income ($77k).
Ware has the most people working from home (12.3%).
Athol has the oldest housing (typical home built 1953).
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 | Orange | Plainfield | Ware | Athol |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 7,573Lowest |
15,141Highest |
10,048 |
12,011 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.4%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
— | +2% U.S.: +7.4% |
+3.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 41.8±2.2 7% above U.S. |
37±4.5Lowest 5% below U.S. |
43.1±4.7Highest 11% above U.S. |
41.3±1.9 6% above U.S. |
| Ware and Orange are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 22.2%±3.8Highest U.S.: 22% |
19.4%±2.6 U.S.: 22% |
19.1%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 22% |
21.8%±3.2 U.S.: 22% |
| Orange and Athol are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 20.3%±3.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
16.6%±2.4Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.6%±3.4Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
19.3%±2.3 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Ware and Orange are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 15.7% U.S.: 35.7% |
15%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
24%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
20.4% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.6%±1.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.4%±2.2 U.S.: 6.4% |
3.6%±1.1 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Plainfield and Ware are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $55,824±$10kLowest 31% below U.S. |
$76,993±$8kHighest 5% below U.S. |
$67,475±$15k 16% below U.S. |
$69,316±$5k 14% below U.S. |
| Plainfield and Athol are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $245,900±$18kLowest 26% below U.S. |
$272,100±$16k 18% below U.S. |
$289,700±$28kHighest 13% below U.S. |
$268,100±$13k 19% below U.S. |
| Ware and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $775±$233Lowest 45% below U.S. |
$1,204±$70Highest 15% below U.S. |
$1,043±$109 26% below U.S. |
$1,150±$182 19% below U.S. |
| Plainfield and Athol are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,136 33% above U.S. |
$4,209 35% above U.S. |
$4,237Highest 36% above U.S. |
$3,403Lowest 9% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 41%±11.9 U.S.: 51.1% |
39.8%±9.5Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
64.3%±16.2Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
57.5%±17.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Ware and Athol are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 22.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
8.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
11.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
16.3% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 70%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
73.6%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
72.3% U.S.: 65.2% |
72.4% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1966 14 yrs older than U.S. |
1971Highest 9 yrs older than U.S. |
1960 20 yrs older than U.S. |
1953Lowest 27 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 33 minHighest 24% above U.S. |
27 minLowest about the U.S. average |
28 min 8% above U.S. |
27 min about the U.S. average |
| Work from home | 6.6%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
10%±4 U.S.: 15.1% |
12.3%±3.8Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
10.6%±3.3 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Ware and Athol 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 | #275 of 282 in MA | #131 of 149 in CT | #267 of 282 in MA | #256 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Orange · Ralph C Mahar | Plainfield School District | Ware | Athol-Royalston |
| High school in town | Ralph C Mahar Regional | Plainfield High School | Ware Junior/Senior High School | Athol High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.0Lowest |
10.3 |
11.1 |
11.6Highest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.