Compare towns
Shrewsbury vs Worcester
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Shrewsbury has the most people working from home (26.3%).
Worcester has grown the fastest since 2010 (+14.1%).
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 | Worcester |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 38,876Lowest |
207,055Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.6%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+14.1%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 40.6±1.5Highest about the MA average |
33.9±0.5Lowest 15% below MA |
| Kids under 18 | 23.2%±1.9Highest MA: 19.4% |
19.6%±0.8Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 15.4%±1.4Highest MA: 17.9% |
13.3%±0.6Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 65.6%Highest MA: 47.3% |
35.2%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.9%±0.8Lowest MA: 7.9% |
14.1%±0.8Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $139,302±$11kHighest 34% above MA |
$70,102±$2kLowest 33% below MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $592,300±$20kHighest 5% above MA |
$374,400±$7kLowest 33% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,116±$98Highest 20% above MA |
$1,487±$38Lowest 16% below MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,923Highest 16% above MA |
$4,733Lowest 21% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 44.2%±6.9Lowest MA: 51.8% |
54.2%±2.9Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Below poverty line | 3.7%Lowest MA: 10% |
19.6%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 72.2%Highest MA: 62.5% |
42.8%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1979Highest 15 yrs newer than MA |
1951Lowest 13 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 31 minHighest 6% above MA |
24 minLowest 17% below MA |
| Work from home | 26.3%±2.8Highest MA: 18.6% |
11.5%±1Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #30 of 282 in MA | #266 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Shrewsbury | Ma Academy for Math and Science · Worcester |
| High school in town | Shrewsbury High School | South High Community |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.4Lowest |
14.6Highest |
| 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.