Compare towns
Shrewsbury vs West Boylston
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Shrewsbury has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.6%).
West Boylston has the most affordable homes ($440k 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 | Shrewsbury | West Boylston |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 38,876Highest |
7,782Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.6%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+2.7%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 40.6±1.5Lowest about the MA average |
45.5±2.7Highest 14% above MA |
| Kids under 18 | 23.2%±1.9Highest MA: 19.4% |
16.3%±3.6Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 15.4%±1.4Lowest MA: 17.9% |
25.8%±3.7Highest MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 65.6%Highest MA: 47.3% |
41.8%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.9%±0.8Highest MA: 7.9% |
2.8%±1.2Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $139,302±$11kHighest 34% above MA |
$104,551±$12kLowest about the MA average |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $592,300±$20kHighest 5% above MA |
$440,000±$24kLowest 22% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,116±$98Highest 20% above MA |
$1,261±$154Lowest 28% below MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,923Highest 16% above MA |
$6,115Lowest about the MA average |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 44.2%±6.9Highest MA: 51.8% |
29.9%±12.8Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Shrewsbury and West Boylston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 3.7%Lowest MA: 10% |
6.6%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 72.2%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
77.9%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1979Highest 15 yrs newer than MA |
1967Lowest 3 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 31 minHighest 6% above MA |
25 minLowest 14% below MA |
| Work from home | 26.3%±2.8Highest MA: 18.6% |
17.7%±4.5Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #30 of 282 in MA | #97 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Shrewsbury | West Boylston |
| High school in town | Shrewsbury High School | West Boylston Junior/Senior High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.4Highest |
10.6Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.