Compare towns
Ware vs Middlefield vs Palmer Town
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Ware has the most kids (23.3% under 18).
Middlefield has the highest household income ($104k).
Palmer Town has grown the fastest since 2010 (+2.5%).
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 | Middlefield | Palmer Town |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 6,369 |
352Lowest |
12,381Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +1.6% MA: +7.4% |
-26.1%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+2.5%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 39.8±6Lowest about the MA average |
56.9±3.7Highest 42% above MA |
47.8±5.6 20% above MA |
| Middlefield and Palmer Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 23.3%±4.4Highest MA: 19.4% |
4.5%±9.5Lowest MA: 19.4% |
15.1%±3.1 MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 17.4%±3.9Lowest MA: 17.9% |
28.7%±8.5Highest MA: 17.9% |
20.9%±4.2 MA: 17.9% |
| Middlefield and Palmer Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 15.4%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
31.8%Highest MA: 47.3% |
23.5% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.7%±1.9Highest MA: 7.9% |
2.8%±4.8Lowest MA: 7.9% |
3.4%±1.5 MA: 7.9% |
| Ware 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 | $45,158±$11kLowest 57% below MA |
$103,750±$23kHighest about the MA average |
$78,480±$8k 25% below MA |
| Middlefield and Palmer Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $253,400±$31kLowest 55% below MA |
$332,800±$48kHighest 41% below MA |
$271,400±$21k 52% below MA |
| Middlefield and Palmer Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,039±$104Lowest 41% below MA |
$2,625±$1kHighest 49% above MA |
$1,075±$103 39% below MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,408Lowest 43% below MA |
$4,926Highest 18% below MA |
$4,540 24% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 64.5%±17.3 MA: 51.8% |
100%±100Highest MA: 51.8% |
52.9%±10.6Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Middlefield 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 MA: 10% |
12.2% MA: 10% |
8.3%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 57.4%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
94.1%Highest MA: 62.5% |
71.5% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 26 yrs older than MA |
1971Highest 7 yrs newer than MA |
1962 2 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 minLowest 9% below MA |
30 min about the MA average |
31 minHighest 8% above MA |
| Work from home | 16.6%±5Highest MA: 18.6% |
13.2%±9.2 MA: 18.6% |
7.3%±2.7Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Ware and Middlefield 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 | — | #252 of 282 in MA |
| School district | — | — | Palmer · Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical |
| High school in town | — | — | Pathfinder Vocational Technical |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 9.9 |
| 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.