Compare towns
Rochester vs Meredith vs West Wareham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Rochester has the highest household income ($120k).
Meredith has the most people working from home (23.7%).
West Wareham has the most affordable homes ($231k median).
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 | Rochester | Meredith | West Wareham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 5,837 |
6,758Highest |
2,257Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+7.8% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 46.5±6Lowest 20% above U.S. |
55.5±3.7 43% above U.S. |
57.6±13Highest 48% above U.S. |
| West Wareham and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 20.1%±4.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
12.6%±3.3Lowest U.S.: 22% |
14.8%±7.3 U.S.: 22% |
| Rochester and West Wareham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 20.1%±4.2Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
34.2%±5 U.S.: 17.2% |
35%±3.3Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| West Wareham and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 43.5% U.S.: 35.7% |
45.9%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
18.4%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4%±1.5 U.S.: 6.4% |
2.9%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.7%±4.7Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| West Wareham and Rochester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $120,273±$12kHighest 49% above U.S. |
$87,019±$19k 8% above U.S. |
$58,560±$15kLowest 27% below U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $599,100±$31kHighest 80% above U.S. |
$480,100±$48k 44% above U.S. |
$230,800±$104kLowest 31% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,432±$743Highest about the U.S. average |
$1,149±$304Lowest 19% below U.S. |
— |
| Rochester and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,530Highest 109% above U.S. |
$5,006 61% above U.S. |
$4,765Lowest 53% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 39.1%±10.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
48.5%±9.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
90.6%±37.4Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| West Wareham and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 5.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
7.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
19.9%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 88.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
75.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
78.6% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1984Highest 4 yrs newer than U.S. |
1975Lowest 5 yrs older than U.S. |
1982 2 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 37 minHighest 38% above U.S. |
26 min about the U.S. average |
22 minLowest 16% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 8.3%±3.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
23.7%±4.9Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
17.7%±13.8 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Meredith and West Wareham 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 | #104 of 282 in MA | #62 of 120 in NH | — |
| School district | Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical · Rochester | Inter-Lakes Cooperative School District | — |
| High school in town | Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical | Inter-Lakes High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.1Lowest |
11.1Highest |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet |
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.