Compare towns
Ware vs Effingham vs Ware vs West Brookfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Ware has the most renters (42.6% rent).
Effingham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+15.4%).
West Brookfield has the highest household income ($96k).
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 | Ware | Effingham | Ware | West Brookfield |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 6,369 |
1,912Lowest |
10,048Highest |
3,859 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +1.6%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+15.4%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+2% U.S.: +7.4% |
+3.6% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 39.8±6Lowest about the U.S. average |
46.9±12.4 21% above U.S. |
43.1±4.7 11% above U.S. |
58.5±3.2Highest 50% above U.S. |
| West Brookfield and Effingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 23.3%±4.4Highest U.S.: 22% |
19.5%±4.5 U.S.: 22% |
19.1%±3.5 U.S.: 22% |
13%±3.8Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Ware and Effingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 17.4%±3.9Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
18.7%±2.5 U.S.: 17.2% |
20.6%±3.4 U.S.: 17.2% |
35.9%±6.1Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 15.4%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
20.3% U.S.: 35.7% |
24% U.S.: 35.7% |
34%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.7%±1.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
1.1%±0.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.4%±2.2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
1.2%±1 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Ware and Ware are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $45,158±$11kLowest 44% below U.S. |
$76,607±$14k 5% below U.S. |
$67,475±$15k 16% below U.S. |
$95,613±$12kHighest 18% above U.S. |
| West Brookfield and Effingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $253,400±$31kLowest 24% below U.S. |
$322,700±$30k 3% below U.S. |
$289,700±$28k 13% below U.S. |
$354,000±$21kHighest 6% above U.S. |
| West Brookfield and Effingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,039±$104Lowest 26% below U.S. |
$1,090±$121 23% below U.S. |
$1,043±$109 26% below U.S. |
$1,236±$271Highest 13% below U.S. |
| West Brookfield and Effingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,408Lowest 9% above U.S. |
$5,163Highest 66% above U.S. |
$4,237 36% above U.S. |
$4,260 37% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 64.5%±17.3Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
13.6%±40.4Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
64.3%±16.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
30.3%±18.8 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Ware and Ware are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 14.1%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
9% U.S.: 12.5% |
11.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
8.5%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 57.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
90.2%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
72.3% U.S.: 65.2% |
80.8% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 42 yrs older than U.S. |
1982Highest 2 yrs newer than U.S. |
1960 20 yrs older than U.S. |
1967 13 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 27 minLowest about the U.S. average |
32 min 19% above U.S. |
28 min 8% above U.S. |
42 minHighest 58% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 16.6%±5 U.S.: 15.1% |
16.1%±4.2 U.S.: 15.1% |
12.3%±3.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
18.9%±15Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| West Brookfield and Ware 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 | #267 of 282 in MA | — | #267 of 282 in MA | #162 of 282 in MA |
| School district | — | Governor Wentworth Regional School District | Ware | Quaboag Regional |
| High school in town | — | None in town | Ware Junior/Senior High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 11.1 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.