Compare towns
Ware vs Coventry vs Athol vs New Salem
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 (27.7% rent).
Coventry has the most affordable homes ($198k median).
Athol has grown the fastest since 2010 (+3.1%).
New Salem has the most people working from home (19.4%).
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 | Coventry | Athol | New Salem |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 10,048 |
917Lowest |
12,011Highest |
1,054 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2% U.S.: +7.4% |
+1.3% U.S.: +7.4% |
+3.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
-0.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 43.1±4.7 11% above U.S. |
45.2±5.2 16% above U.S. |
41.3±1.9Lowest 6% above U.S. |
55.6±2.4Highest 43% above U.S. |
| Kids under 18 | 19.1%±3.5 U.S.: 22% |
20.2%±4.1 U.S.: 22% |
21.8%±3.2Highest U.S.: 22% |
14.5%±4.5Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Athol and Coventry are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 20.6%±3.4 U.S.: 17.2% |
22.5%±3.3 U.S.: 17.2% |
19.3%±2.3Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
23.7%±6.5Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| New Salem and Coventry are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 24% U.S.: 35.7% |
21.7% U.S.: 35.7% |
20.4%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
35.4%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.4%±2.2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.7%±3.5 U.S.: 6.4% |
3.6%±1.1 U.S.: 6.4% |
3.1%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Ware and Coventry are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $67,475±$15k 16% below U.S. |
$59,342±$3kLowest 26% below U.S. |
$69,316±$5k 14% below U.S. |
$79,688±$19kHighest about the U.S. average |
| New Salem and Athol are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $289,700±$28k 13% below U.S. |
$197,900±$55kLowest 41% below U.S. |
$268,100±$13k 19% below U.S. |
$359,000±$40kHighest 8% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,043±$109 26% below U.S. |
$755±$108Lowest 47% below U.S. |
$1,150±$182 19% below U.S. |
$1,194±$88Highest 15% below U.S. |
| New Salem and Athol are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,237 36% above U.S. |
$2,375Lowest 24% below U.S. |
$3,403 9% above U.S. |
$4,509Highest 45% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 64.3%±16.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
1.5%±27.7Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
57.5%±17.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
86.7%±25.8Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| New Salem and Ware are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 11.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
19.6%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
16.3% U.S.: 12.5% |
9.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 72.3%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
82.8% U.S.: 65.2% |
72.4% U.S.: 65.2% |
89%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1960 20 yrs older than U.S. |
1993Highest 13 yrs newer than U.S. |
1953Lowest 27 yrs older than U.S. |
1973 7 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 8% above U.S. |
36 minHighest 36% above U.S. |
27 min about the U.S. average |
23 minLowest 12% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.8 U.S.: 15.1% |
8.6%±3.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
10.6%±3.3 U.S.: 15.1% |
19.4%±8Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| New Salem 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 | — | #256 of 282 in MA | — |
| School district | Ware | Coventry School District | Athol-Royalston | — |
| High school in town | Ware Junior/Senior High School | None in town | Athol High | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.1Lowest |
— | 11.6Highest |
— |
| 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.