Compare towns
Upton vs Ware vs Orange vs Milford
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Upton has the most people working from home (22.8%).
Ware has the shortest commute (28 min average).
Orange has the most affordable homes ($246k median).
Milford has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.6%).
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 | Upton | Ware | Orange | Milford |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,189 |
10,048 |
7,573Lowest |
27,731Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.1% MA: +7.4% |
+2% MA: +7.4% |
-3.4%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+7.6%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 46.4±4.8Highest 16% above MA |
43.1±4.7 8% above MA |
41.8±2.2 4% above MA |
38.5±1.5Lowest 4% below MA |
| Upton and Ware are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 23.2%±4.5Highest MA: 19.4% |
19.1%±3.5Lowest MA: 19.4% |
22.2%±3.8 MA: 19.4% |
21%±2.5 MA: 19.4% |
| Upton and Orange are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 20.7%±4.9Highest MA: 17.9% |
20.6%±3.4 MA: 17.9% |
20.3%±3.1 MA: 17.9% |
18.3%±2.1Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Upton and Ware are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 53.5%Highest MA: 47.3% |
24% MA: 47.3% |
15.7%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
32.6% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.4%±1.3 MA: 7.9% |
4.4%±2.2Highest MA: 7.9% |
2%±0.9Lowest MA: 7.9% |
3.9%±1.1 MA: 7.9% |
| Ware and Milford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $155,508±$33kHighest 50% above MA |
$67,475±$15k 35% below MA |
$55,824±$10kLowest 46% below MA |
$93,310±$5k 10% below MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $576,700±$41kHighest about the MA average |
$289,700±$28k 48% below MA |
$245,900±$18kLowest 56% below MA |
$464,700±$12k 17% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $948±$599 46% below MA |
$1,043±$109 41% below MA |
$775±$233Lowest 56% below MA |
$1,889±$133Highest 7% above MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $8,376Highest 40% above MA |
$4,237 29% below MA |
$4,136Lowest 31% below MA |
$5,664 5% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52.8%±31 MA: 51.8% |
64.3%±16.2Highest MA: 51.8% |
41%±11.9Lowest MA: 51.8% |
56.7%±8.4 MA: 51.8% |
| Ware and Milford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 3.2%Lowest MA: 10% |
11.8% MA: 10% |
22.4%Highest MA: 10% |
8.4% MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 86.7%Highest MA: 62.5% |
72.3% MA: 62.5% |
70% MA: 62.5% |
62.2%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1981Highest 17 yrs newer than MA |
1960Lowest 4 yrs older than MA |
1966 2 yrs newer than MA |
1969 5 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 35 min 22% above MA |
28 minLowest about the MA average |
33 min 13% above MA |
37 minHighest 27% above MA |
| Work from home | 22.8%±5.3Highest MA: 18.6% |
12.3%±3.8 MA: 18.6% |
6.6%±2.8Lowest MA: 18.6% |
13%±2.4 MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #46 of 282 in MA | #267 of 282 in MA | #275 of 282 in MA | #213 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical · Mendon-Upton | Ware | Orange · Ralph C Mahar | — |
| High school in town | Blackstone Valley | Ware Junior/Senior High School | Ralph C Mahar Regional | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.2Highest |
11.1 |
9.0Lowest |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.