Compare towns
Ware vs Gardner vs Belchertown
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 affordable homes ($290k median).
Gardner has the most renters (41.1% rent).
Belchertown has the highest household income ($108k).
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 | Gardner | Belchertown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 10,048Lowest |
21,148Highest |
15,393 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+5.2%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+4.8% MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 43.1±4.7Lowest 8% above MA |
43.7±2.3 9% above MA |
43.9±1.6Highest 10% above MA |
| Belchertown and Gardner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19.1%±3.5 MA: 19.4% |
18.3%±2.3Lowest MA: 19.4% |
19.5%±2.9Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Belchertown and Ware are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 20.6%±3.4 MA: 17.9% |
19.6%±2.2Lowest MA: 17.9% |
21%±2.4Highest MA: 17.9% |
| Belchertown and Ware are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 24% MA: 47.3% |
23.8%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
47.3%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.4%±2.2Lowest MA: 7.9% |
4.6%±1.3 MA: 7.9% |
6.7%±1.8Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Belchertown and Gardner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $67,475±$15kLowest 35% below MA |
$67,518±$8k 35% below MA |
$108,068±$15kHighest 4% above MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $289,700±$28kLowest 48% below MA |
$301,600±$20k 46% below MA |
$371,300±$12kHighest 34% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,043±$109Lowest 41% below MA |
$1,109±$51 37% below MA |
$1,292±$230Highest 27% below MA |
| Belchertown and Gardner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,237 29% below MA |
$4,150Lowest 31% below MA |
$5,810Highest 3% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 64.3%±16.2Highest MA: 51.8% |
49.7%±8.6Lowest MA: 51.8% |
57.4%±21.8 MA: 51.8% |
| Ware and Belchertown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 11.8% MA: 10% |
13.7%Highest MA: 10% |
8.5%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 72.3% MA: 62.5% |
58.9%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
87.1%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1960 4 yrs older than MA |
1954Lowest 10 yrs older than MA |
1984Highest 20 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minLowest about the MA average |
31 minHighest 5% above MA |
29 min about the MA average |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.8Lowest MA: 18.6% |
13.3%±3.6 MA: 18.6% |
14%±3.3Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Belchertown and Gardner 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 | #273 of 282 in MA | #168 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Ware | Gardner | Belchertown |
| High school in town | Ware Junior/Senior High School | Gardner High | Belchertown High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.1Lowest |
13.5Highest |
11.9 |
| 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.