Compare towns
Palmer Town vs Petersham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Palmer Town has grown the fastest since 2010 (+2.5%).
Petersham has the most people working from home (16.2%).
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 | Palmer Town | Petersham |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 12,381Highest |
1,185Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.5%Highest MA: +7.4% |
-3.2%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 47.8±5.6Lowest 20% above MA |
56.3±2.7Highest 41% above MA |
| Kids under 18 | 15.1%±3.1Highest MA: 19.4% |
12.7%±2.5Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Palmer Town and Petersham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Age 65+ | 20.9%±4.2Lowest MA: 17.9% |
30.5%±4.7Highest MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 23.5%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
42.6%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.4%±1.5Lowest MA: 7.9% |
4%±1.7Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Petersham and Palmer Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $78,480±$8kLowest 25% below MA |
$110,750±$20kHighest 7% above MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $271,400±$21kLowest 52% below MA |
$392,400±$20kHighest 30% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,075±$103Lowest 39% below MA |
$1,679±$441Highest 5% below MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,540Lowest 24% below MA |
$4,636Highest 23% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52.9%±10.6Highest MA: 51.8% |
20%±100Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Palmer Town and Petersham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 8.3%Lowest MA: 10% |
8.8%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 71.5%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
94.2%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1962 2 yrs older than MA |
1962 2 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 31 minLowest 8% above MA |
39 minHighest 32% above MA |
| Work from home | 7.3%±2.7Lowest MA: 18.6% |
16.2%±5.8Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #252 of 282 in MA | — |
| School district | Palmer · Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical | Petersham |
| High school in town | Pathfinder Vocational Technical | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.9 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in History | 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.