Compare towns
Walpole vs Worcester
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Walpole has the most people working from home (28.2%).
Worcester has the most renters (57.2% rent).
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 | Walpole | Worcester |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 26,388Lowest |
207,055Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.6%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+14.1%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 40.9±1.2Highest about the MA average |
33.9±0.5Lowest 15% below MA |
| Kids under 18 | 25.1%±2.4Highest MA: 19.4% |
19.6%±0.8Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 16.9%±1.7Highest MA: 17.9% |
13.3%±0.6Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 67.4%Highest MA: 47.3% |
35.2%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.1%±1.1Lowest MA: 7.9% |
14.1%±0.8Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $171,500±$16kHighest 65% above MA |
$70,102±$2kLowest 33% below MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $687,100±$20kHighest 22% above MA |
$374,400±$7kLowest 33% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,205±$222Highest 25% above MA |
$1,487±$38Lowest 16% below MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $8,523Highest 42% above MA |
$4,733Lowest 21% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 37.8%±9.1Lowest MA: 51.8% |
54.2%±2.9Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Below poverty line | 3.6%Lowest MA: 10% |
19.6%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 83.5%Highest MA: 62.5% |
42.8%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977Highest 13 yrs newer than MA |
1951Lowest 13 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 34 minHighest 15% above MA |
24 minLowest 17% below MA |
| Work from home | 28.2%±4.3Highest MA: 18.6% |
11.5%±1Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #107 of 282 in MA | #266 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Norfolk County Agricultural · Walpole | Ma Academy for Math and Science · Worcester |
| High school in town | Walpole High | South High Community |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.3Lowest |
14.6Highest |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in History | 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.