Compare towns
Spencer vs Windham vs Palmer Town
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Spencer has the most renters (37% rent).
Windham has the most people working from home (20.5%).
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 | Windham | Palmer Town |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 12,008 |
594Lowest |
12,381Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.6%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
— | +2.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 48.9±6.8Highest 26% above U.S. |
44.2±7.4Lowest 14% above U.S. |
47.8±5.6 23% above U.S. |
| Spencer and Palmer Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.4%±3.9 U.S.: 22% |
17.5%±7.9Highest U.S.: 22% |
15.1%±3.1Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Windham and Spencer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 26%±4.4Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
23.2%±8.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
20.9%±4.2Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Spencer and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 29.1% U.S.: 35.7% |
48.1%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
23.5%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.2%±2.4Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
0.8%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.4%±1.5 U.S.: 6.4% |
| 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 about the U.S. average |
$94,500±$12kHighest 17% above U.S. |
$78,480±$8kLowest about the U.S. average |
| Windham 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 15% above U.S. |
$353,900±$20k 6% above U.S. |
$271,400±$21kLowest 18% below U.S. |
| Spencer and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,078±$161Highest 24% below U.S. |
— | $1,075±$103Lowest 24% below U.S. |
| Spencer and Palmer Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,387Lowest 41% above U.S. |
$5,951Highest 91% above U.S. |
$4,540 46% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 50.6%±10.3 U.S.: 51.1% |
41.2%±94Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
52.9%±10.6Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| 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 U.S.: 12.5% |
9.9% U.S.: 12.5% |
8.3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 63%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
82.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
71.5% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1968 12 yrs older than U.S. |
1982Highest 2 yrs newer than U.S. |
1962Lowest 18 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 34 minHighest 30% above U.S. |
27 minLowest about the U.S. average |
31 min 19% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 15%±7.3 U.S.: 15.1% |
20.5%±5.6Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
7.3%±2.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Windham 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 | — | Palmer · Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical |
| High school in town | David Prouty High | — | 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 |
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.