Compare towns
Ware vs Grafton vs Palmer Town
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 kids (19.1% under 18).
Grafton has the most people working from home (15.8%).
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 | Grafton | Palmer Town |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 10,048 |
666Lowest |
12,381Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2% U.S.: +7.4% |
-5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+2.5%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 43.1±4.7Lowest 11% above U.S. |
59.2±4.4Highest 52% above U.S. |
47.8±5.6 23% above U.S. |
| Kids under 18 | 19.1%±3.5Highest U.S.: 22% |
5.9%±3.7Lowest U.S.: 22% |
15.1%±3.1 U.S.: 22% |
| Ware and Palmer Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 20.6%±3.4Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
34.2%±2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.9%±4.2 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 24% U.S.: 35.7% |
48.4%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
23.5%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.4%±2.2 U.S.: 6.4% |
7.1%±5Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.4%±1.5Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Grafton and Ware 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 16% below U.S. |
$76,111±$7k 6% below U.S. |
$78,480±$8kHighest about the U.S. average |
| Palmer Town and Grafton 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. |
$343,200±$85kHighest 3% above U.S. |
$271,400±$21kLowest 18% below U.S. |
| Grafton and Ware are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,043±$109Lowest 26% below U.S. |
$1,288±$174Highest 9% below U.S. |
$1,075±$103 24% below U.S. |
| Grafton and Palmer Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,237Lowest 36% above U.S. |
$4,843Highest 55% above U.S. |
$4,540 46% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 64.3%±16.2Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
53.8%±69.4 U.S.: 51.1% |
52.9%±10.6Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Ware and Grafton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 11.8%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
4.5%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
8.3% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 72.3% U.S.: 65.2% |
89.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
71.5%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1960Lowest 20 yrs older than U.S. |
1978Highest 2 yrs older than U.S. |
1962 18 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 8% above U.S. |
24 minLowest 8% below U.S. |
31 minHighest 19% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.8 U.S.: 15.1% |
15.8%±5.4Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
7.3%±2.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Grafton 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 | — | #252 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Ware | Athens Grafton School District | Palmer · Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical |
| High school in town | Ware Junior/Senior High School | None in town | Pathfinder Vocational Technical |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.1Highest |
— | 9.9Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.