Compare towns
Palmer Town vs Worcester vs Ware
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).
Worcester has grown the fastest since 2010 (+14.1%).
Ware has the most people working from home (12.3%).
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 | Worcester | Ware |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 12,381 |
207,055Highest |
10,048Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.5% MA: +7.4% |
+14.1%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+2%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 47.8±5.6Highest 20% above MA |
33.9±0.5Lowest 15% below MA |
43.1±4.7 8% above 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% |
19.6%±0.8Highest MA: 19.4% |
19.1%±3.5 MA: 19.4% |
| Worcester 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% |
13.3%±0.6Lowest MA: 17.9% |
20.6%±3.4 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%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
35.2%Highest MA: 47.3% |
24% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.4%±1.5Lowest MA: 7.9% |
14.1%±0.8Highest MA: 7.9% |
4.4%±2.2 MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $78,480±$8kHighest 25% below MA |
$70,102±$2k 33% below MA |
$67,475±$15kLowest 35% below MA |
| Palmer Town and Worcester 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 |
$374,400±$7kHighest 33% below MA |
$289,700±$28k 48% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,075±$103 39% below MA |
$1,487±$38Highest 16% below MA |
$1,043±$109Lowest 41% below MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,540 24% below MA |
$4,733Highest 21% below MA |
$4,237Lowest 29% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52.9%±10.6Lowest MA: 51.8% |
54.2%±2.9 MA: 51.8% |
64.3%±16.2Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Ware and Worcester 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% |
19.6%Highest MA: 10% |
11.8% MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 71.5% MA: 62.5% |
42.8%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
72.3%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1962Highest 2 yrs older than MA |
1951Lowest 13 yrs older than MA |
1960 4 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 31 minHighest 8% above MA |
24 minLowest 17% below MA |
28 min about the MA average |
| Work from home | 7.3%±2.7Lowest MA: 18.6% |
11.5%±1 MA: 18.6% |
12.3%±3.8Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Ware and Worcester 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 | #266 of 282 in MA | #267 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Palmer · Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical | Ma Academy for Math and Science · Worcester | Ware |
| High school in town | Pathfinder Vocational Technical | South High Community | Ware Junior/Senior High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.9Lowest |
14.6Highest |
11.1 |
| 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.