Compare towns
Spencer vs Warwick vs Palmer Town
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Spencer has the most renters (37% rent).
Warwick has the most people working from home (22.4%).
Palmer Town has the most affordable homes ($271k 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 | Spencer | Warwick | Palmer Town |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 12,008 |
776Lowest |
12,381Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.6%Highest MA: +7.4% |
0%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+2.5% MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 48.9±6.8 22% above MA |
51.4±7.3Highest 29% above MA |
47.8±5.6Lowest 20% above MA |
| Warwick and Spencer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.4%±3.9Highest MA: 19.4% |
9.9%±3.4Lowest MA: 19.4% |
15.1%±3.1 MA: 19.4% |
| Spencer and Palmer Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 26%±4.4Highest MA: 17.9% |
23.2%±3.3 MA: 17.9% |
20.9%±4.2Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Spencer and Warwick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 29.1% MA: 47.3% |
40.5%Highest MA: 47.3% |
23.5%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.2%±2.4Highest MA: 7.9% |
2.4%±2.1Lowest MA: 7.9% |
3.4%±1.5 MA: 7.9% |
| Spencer and Palmer Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $80,533±$11k 23% below MA |
$93,333±$22kHighest 10% below MA |
$78,480±$8kLowest 25% below MA |
| Warwick and Spencer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $382,000±$22kHighest 32% below MA |
$349,400±$34k 38% below MA |
$271,400±$21kLowest 52% below MA |
| Spencer and Warwick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,078±$161 39% below MA |
$1,367±$163Highest 22% below MA |
$1,075±$103Lowest 39% below MA |
| Warwick and Spencer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,387 27% below MA |
$4,380Lowest 27% below MA |
$4,540Highest 24% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 50.6%±10.3 MA: 51.8% |
33.3%±57.3Lowest MA: 51.8% |
52.9%±10.6Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Palmer Town and Spencer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 11%Highest MA: 10% |
5%Lowest MA: 10% |
8.3% MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 63%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
89%Highest MA: 62.5% |
71.5% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1968 4 yrs newer than MA |
1974Highest 10 yrs newer than MA |
1962Lowest 2 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 34 min 18% above MA |
40 minHighest 37% above MA |
31 minLowest 8% above MA |
| Work from home | 15%±7.3 MA: 18.6% |
22.4%±6.9Highest MA: 18.6% |
7.3%±2.7Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Warwick and Spencer 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 | #261 of 282 in MA | — | #252 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Spencer-E Brookfield | Warwick | Palmer · Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical |
| High school in town | David Prouty High | None in town | Pathfinder Vocational Technical |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.9 |
— | 9.9 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.