Compare towns
Plainville vs Roxbury vs Ayer
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Plainville has the most expensive homes ($476k median).
Roxbury has the most homeowners (95.5%).
Ayer has the most people working from home (21.6%).
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 | Plainville | Roxbury | Ayer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 9,943Highest |
299Lowest |
8,645 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +20.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
— | +14.2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 43.2±3.6Highest 11% above U.S. |
43.2±17.7Highest 11% above U.S. |
39.2±2.8Lowest about the U.S. average |
| Kids under 18 | 18.3%±4 U.S.: 22% |
14.7%±11.5Lowest U.S.: 22% |
20.3%±3.9Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Ayer and Plainville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 22.2%±3.8Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
17.4%±10.8 U.S.: 17.2% |
14.5%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Plainville and Roxbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.4%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
30.6%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
42.3% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.3%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
13.4%±15.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.5%±1.5 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Roxbury and Ayer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $104,106±$13kHighest 29% above U.S. |
$69,226±$14kLowest 14% below U.S. |
$101,875±$15k 26% above U.S. |
| Plainville and Ayer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $476,000±$35kHighest 43% above U.S. |
$323,100±$219kLowest about the U.S. average |
$463,800±$29k 39% above U.S. |
| Plainville and Ayer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,977±$197Highest 40% above U.S. |
— | $1,415±$180Lowest about the U.S. average |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,329 71% above U.S. |
$5,787Highest 86% above U.S. |
$5,057Lowest 62% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 53.8%±13.6Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
0%±100Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
45.1%±14.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Plainville and Ayer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.4% U.S.: 12.5% |
3.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
10.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 70.4% U.S.: 65.2% |
95.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
69.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1978Highest 2 yrs older than U.S. |
1969Lowest 11 yrs older than U.S. |
1977 3 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 10% above U.S. |
21 minLowest 21% below U.S. |
33 minHighest 25% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 17.9%±4.7 U.S.: 15.1% |
0.7%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
21.6%±5.9Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Ayer and Plainville 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 | #102 of 282 in MA | — | #113 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Plainville | — | Ayer Shirley School District |
| High school in town | None in town | — | Ayer Shirley Regional High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 11.5 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | 12 photos → |
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.