Compare towns
Palmer Town vs Webster vs Warren
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 oldest population (median age 47.8).
Webster has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.9%).
Warren has the most people working from home (8.5%).
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 | Webster | Warren |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 12,381Highest |
12,228 |
5,009Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.5% MA: +7.4% |
+6.9%Highest MA: +7.4% |
-3.1%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 47.8±5.6Highest 20% above MA |
37.2±2.1Lowest 7% below MA |
38.7±7.3 3% below MA |
| Palmer Town and Warren 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% |
21.8%±3.6Highest MA: 19.4% |
20.8%±8 MA: 19.4% |
| Webster and Warren 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% |
15.7%±2.5 MA: 17.9% |
14.6%±4.5Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Palmer Town and Webster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 23.5%Highest MA: 47.3% |
18.8%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
23.2% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.4%±1.5 MA: 7.9% |
6%±1.8Highest MA: 7.9% |
2.9%±2.1Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| Webster 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±$8kHighest 25% below MA |
$63,837±$8kLowest 39% below MA |
$66,082±$6k 36% below MA |
| Palmer Town and Warren 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 |
$333,100±$14k 41% below MA |
$333,700±$35kHighest 41% below MA |
| Warren and Webster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,075±$103 39% below MA |
$1,198±$85Highest 32% below MA |
$890±$174Lowest 49% 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 |
$3,234Lowest 46% below MA |
$4,530 24% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52.9%±10.6Highest MA: 51.8% |
46.1%±7.4 MA: 51.8% |
29.7%±18.4Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Palmer Town and Webster 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% |
16%Highest MA: 10% |
9% MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 71.5%Highest MA: 62.5% |
45.5%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
64.5% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1962 2 yrs older than MA |
1954Lowest 10 yrs older than MA |
1975Highest 11 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 31 min 8% above MA |
28 minLowest 5% below MA |
33 minHighest 13% above MA |
| Work from home | 7.3%±2.7 MA: 18.6% |
7.1%±2.9Lowest MA: 18.6% |
8.5%±5.4Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Warren 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 | #271 of 282 in MA | #165 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Palmer · Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical | — | Quaboag Regional |
| High school in town | Pathfinder Vocational Technical | — | Quaboag Regional High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.9Lowest |
— | 10.0Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.