Compare towns
Orange vs Ryegate vs Warwick 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 renters (30% rent).
Ryegate has the most affordable homes ($219k median).
Warwick has the most people working from home (22.4%).
Athol has grown the fastest since 2010 (+3.1%).
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 | Orange | Ryegate | Warwick | Athol |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 7,573 |
1,059 |
776Lowest |
12,011Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.4%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
-0.8% U.S.: +7.4% |
0% U.S.: +7.4% |
+3.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 41.8±2.2 7% above U.S. |
41.2±2.6Lowest 6% above U.S. |
51.4±7.3Highest 32% above U.S. |
41.3±1.9 6% above U.S. |
| Kids under 18 | 22.2%±3.8 U.S.: 22% |
23.2%±4.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
9.9%±3.4Lowest U.S.: 22% |
21.8%±3.2 U.S.: 22% |
| Ryegate and Orange 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% |
22.1%±1.5 U.S.: 17.2% |
23.2%±3.3Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
19.3%±2.3Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Warwick and Ryegate are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 15.7%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
29.1% U.S.: 35.7% |
40.5%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
20.4% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.4%±1.4 U.S.: 6.4% |
2.4%±2.1 U.S.: 6.4% |
3.6%±1.1Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Athol and Ryegate 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. |
$66,484±$15k 18% below U.S. |
$93,333±$22kHighest 16% above U.S. |
$69,316±$5k 14% below U.S. |
| Warwick 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±$18k 26% below U.S. |
$219,300±$32kLowest 34% below U.S. |
$349,400±$34kHighest 5% above U.S. |
$268,100±$13k 19% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $775±$233Lowest 45% below U.S. |
$908±$236 36% below U.S. |
$1,367±$163Highest 3% below U.S. |
$1,150±$182 19% below U.S. |
| Warwick 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. |
$3,472 11% above U.S. |
$4,380Highest 40% above U.S. |
$3,403Lowest 9% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 41%±11.9 U.S.: 51.1% |
55.9%±29.7 U.S.: 51.1% |
33.3%±57.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
57.5%±17.2Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Athol and Ryegate 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% |
14.5% U.S.: 12.5% |
5%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
16.3% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 70%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
84.7% U.S.: 65.2% |
89%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
72.4% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1966 14 yrs older than U.S. |
1949Lowest 31 yrs older than U.S. |
1974Highest 6 yrs older than U.S. |
1953 27 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 33 min 24% above U.S. |
28 min 5% above U.S. |
40 minHighest 52% above U.S. |
27 minLowest about the U.S. average |
| Work from home | 6.6%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
8.2%±3.7 U.S.: 15.1% |
22.4%±6.9Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
10.6%±3.3 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #275 of 282 in MA | — | — | #256 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Orange · Ralph C Mahar | — | Warwick | Athol-Royalston |
| High school in town | Ralph C Mahar Regional | — | None in town | Athol High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.0Lowest |
— | — | 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.