Compare towns
Palmer Town vs Ware vs Webster
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 the highest household income ($78k).
Ware has the most people working from home (12.3%).
Webster has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.9%).
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 | Ware | Webster |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 12,381Highest |
10,048Lowest |
12,228 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.5% MA: +7.4% |
+2%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+6.9%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 47.8±5.6Highest 20% above MA |
43.1±4.7 8% above MA |
37.2±2.1Lowest 7% below MA |
| Palmer Town and Ware are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 15.1%±3.1Lowest MA: 19.4% |
19.1%±3.5 MA: 19.4% |
21.8%±3.6Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Webster and Ware are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 20.9%±4.2Highest MA: 17.9% |
20.6%±3.4 MA: 17.9% |
15.7%±2.5Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Palmer Town and Ware are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 23.5% MA: 47.3% |
24%Highest MA: 47.3% |
18.8%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.4%±1.5Lowest MA: 7.9% |
4.4%±2.2 MA: 7.9% |
6%±1.8Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Webster and Ware are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $78,480±$8kHighest 25% below MA |
$67,475±$15k 35% below MA |
$63,837±$8kLowest 39% below MA |
| Palmer Town and Ware are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $271,400±$21kLowest 52% below MA |
$289,700±$28k 48% below MA |
$333,100±$14kHighest 41% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,075±$103 39% below MA |
$1,043±$109Lowest 41% below MA |
$1,198±$85Highest 32% below MA |
| Webster and Palmer Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,540Highest 24% below MA |
$4,237 29% below MA |
$3,234Lowest 46% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52.9%±10.6 MA: 51.8% |
64.3%±16.2Highest MA: 51.8% |
46.1%±7.4Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Ware and Palmer Town 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% |
11.8% MA: 10% |
16%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 71.5% MA: 62.5% |
72.3%Highest MA: 62.5% |
45.5%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1962Highest 2 yrs older than MA |
1960 4 yrs older than MA |
1954Lowest 10 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 31 minHighest 8% above MA |
28 min about the MA average |
28 minLowest 5% below MA |
| Work from home | 7.3%±2.7 MA: 18.6% |
12.3%±3.8Highest MA: 18.6% |
7.1%±2.9Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Ware and Palmer Town 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 | #252 of 282 in MA | #267 of 282 in MA | #271 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Palmer · Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical | Ware | — |
| High school in town | Pathfinder Vocational Technical | Ware Junior/Senior High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.9Lowest |
11.1Highest |
— |
| 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.