Compare towns
Orange vs Warner 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).
Warner has the most people working from home (16.6%).
Athol has the shortest commute (27 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 | Orange | Warner | Athol |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 7,573 |
2,959Lowest |
12,011Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.4%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+3.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+3.1% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 41.8±2.2 7% above U.S. |
43.7±4Highest 12% above U.S. |
41.3±1.9Lowest 6% above U.S. |
| Warner 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% |
17.3%±3.3Lowest 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% |
20.4%±3.5Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
19.3%±2.3Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Warner 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%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
42.4%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
20.4% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.3%±1.6Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.6%±1.1 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Warner and Athol 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. |
$94,022±$18kHighest 16% above U.S. |
$69,316±$5k 14% below U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $245,900±$18kLowest 26% below U.S. |
$353,100±$22kHighest 6% above U.S. |
$268,100±$13k 19% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $775±$233Lowest 45% below U.S. |
$1,219±$123Highest 14% below U.S. |
$1,150±$182 19% below U.S. |
| Warner 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. |
$7,650Highest 145% above U.S. |
$3,403Lowest 9% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 41%±11.9Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
48.7%±21.3 U.S.: 51.1% |
57.5%±17.2Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Athol and Warner 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% |
8.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
16.3% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 70%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
74.6%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
72.4% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1966 14 yrs older than U.S. |
1975Highest 5 yrs older than U.S. |
1953Lowest 27 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 33 minHighest 24% above U.S. |
32 min 20% above U.S. |
27 minLowest about the U.S. average |
| Work from home | 6.6%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
16.6%±4.8Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
10.6%±3.3 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Warner 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 | — | #256 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Orange · Ralph C Mahar | Kearsarge Regional School District | 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 |
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.