Compare towns
Roxbury vs Ware vs Braintree
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Roxbury has the most kids (30.6% under 18).
Ware has grown the fastest since 2010 (+2%).
Braintree has the most people working from home (19%).
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 | Roxbury | Ware | Braintree |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 942Lowest |
10,048Highest |
1,026 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -1.9% U.S.: +7.4% |
+2%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
-3.1%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 35.6±11.7Lowest 8% below U.S. |
43.1±4.7 11% above U.S. |
58.4±2.4Highest 50% above U.S. |
| Kids under 18 | 30.6%±5Highest U.S.: 22% |
19.1%±3.5 U.S.: 22% |
12.3%±3.2Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Age 65+ | 18.7%±8.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.6%±3.4 U.S.: 17.2% |
33.2%±3.4Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 29.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
24%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
30.9%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.8%±2.3 U.S.: 6.4% |
4.4%±2.2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
1.8%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Ware and Roxbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $73,214±$22k 9% below U.S. |
$67,475±$15kLowest 16% below U.S. |
$79,803±$5kHighest about the U.S. average |
| Braintree and Roxbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $242,600±$55k 27% below U.S. |
$289,700±$28kHighest 13% below U.S. |
$217,700±$28kLowest 35% below U.S. |
| Ware and Roxbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $950±$495 33% below U.S. |
$1,043±$109Highest 26% below U.S. |
$840±$405Lowest 41% below U.S. |
| Ware and Roxbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,284Highest 37% above U.S. |
$4,237 36% above U.S. |
$3,908Lowest 25% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 16.7%±100Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
64.3%±16.2Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
43.4%±29.4 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Ware and Braintree are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 27.2%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
11.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
11.1%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 94%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
72.3%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
81% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1974 6 yrs older than U.S. |
1960Lowest 20 yrs older than U.S. |
1979Highest 1 yr older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 min about the U.S. average |
28 minHighest 8% above U.S. |
26 minLowest about the U.S. average |
| Work from home | 5.2%±3.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
12.3%±3.8 U.S.: 15.1% |
19%±7.2Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Braintree and Ware 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 | — | #267 of 282 in MA | — |
| School district | — | Ware | Orange Southwest Unified Union School District #59 |
| High school in town | — | Ware Junior/Senior High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 11.1 |
— |
| 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.