Compare towns
Springfield vs Ware vs Winchendon
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Springfield has the most renters (50.4% rent).
Ware has the most people working from home (12.3%).
Winchendon has the highest household income ($76k).
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 | Springfield | Ware | Winchendon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 154,749Highest |
10,048Lowest |
10,440 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +1.9% MA: +7.4% |
+2%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+0.6%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 33.7±0.5Lowest 16% below MA |
43.1±4.7Highest 8% above MA |
39.6±1.9 about the MA average |
| Ware and Winchendon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 24.2%±0.9Highest MA: 19.4% |
19.1%±3.5Lowest MA: 19.4% |
21.8%±3.9 MA: 19.4% |
| Springfield and Winchendon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 13.2%±0.7Lowest MA: 17.9% |
20.6%±3.4Highest MA: 17.9% |
16.9%±2.7 MA: 17.9% |
| Ware and Winchendon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 20.5%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
24%Highest MA: 47.3% |
21.4% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 7.5%±0.5Highest MA: 7.9% |
4.4%±2.2Lowest MA: 7.9% |
4.5%±1.5 MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $52,656±$2kLowest 49% below MA |
$67,475±$15k 35% below MA |
$75,690±$14kHighest 27% below MA |
| Winchendon and Ware are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $245,000±$4kLowest 56% below MA |
$289,700±$28k 48% below MA |
$323,800±$19kHighest 42% below MA |
| Winchendon and Ware are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,144±$55 35% below MA |
$1,043±$109Lowest 41% below MA |
$1,255±$163Highest 29% below MA |
| Winchendon and Springfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,695Lowest 38% below MA |
$4,237Highest 29% below MA |
$3,780 37% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 57.7%±3.1Lowest MA: 51.8% |
64.3%±16.2Highest MA: 51.8% |
61.7%±17.6 MA: 51.8% |
| Ware and Winchendon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 25.8%Highest MA: 10% |
11.8%Lowest MA: 10% |
18.5% MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 49.6%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
72.3% MA: 62.5% |
76.6%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1952Lowest 12 yrs older than MA |
1960 4 yrs older than MA |
1981Highest 17 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minLowest 31% below MA |
28 min about the MA average |
32 minHighest 11% above MA |
| Work from home | 8.4%±0.9Lowest MA: 18.6% |
12.3%±3.8Highest MA: 18.6% |
11.2%±3.1 MA: 18.6% |
| Ware and Winchendon 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 | #276 of 282 in MA | #267 of 282 in MA | #269 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Springfield | Ware | Winchendon |
| High school in town | Springfield Central High | Ware Junior/Senior High School | Murdock High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.2Highest |
11.1Lowest |
11.3 |
| 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.