Compare towns
Ware vs Guildhall vs Winchendon
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 people working from home (12.3%).
Guildhall has the highest household income ($115k).
Winchendon has the youngest population (median age 39.6).
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 | Guildhall | Winchendon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 10,048 |
371Lowest |
10,440Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
— | +0.6%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 43.1±4.7Highest 11% above U.S. |
42.6±7.8 10% above U.S. |
39.6±1.9Lowest about the U.S. average |
| Ware and Guildhall are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19.1%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 22% |
22.6%±7.5Highest U.S.: 22% |
21.8%±3.9 U.S.: 22% |
| Guildhall and Winchendon 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% |
26.1%±5.5Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
16.9%±2.7Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Guildhall 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% U.S.: 35.7% |
33.9%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
21.4%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.4%±2.2 U.S.: 6.4% |
1.1%±3.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.5%±1.5Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Winchendon 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. |
$115,000±$46kHighest 42% above U.S. |
$75,690±$14k 6% below U.S. |
| Guildhall and Winchendon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $289,700±$28kLowest 13% below U.S. |
$321,200±$62k 3% below U.S. |
$323,800±$19kHighest about the U.S. average |
| Winchendon and Guildhall are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,043±$109 26% below U.S. |
$850±$717Lowest 40% below U.S. |
$1,255±$163Highest 11% below U.S. |
| Winchendon and Ware 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. |
$4,625Highest 48% above U.S. |
$3,780Lowest 21% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 64.3%±16.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
75%±100Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
61.7%±17.6Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Guildhall and Ware are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 11.8%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
11.9% U.S.: 12.5% |
18.5%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 72.3%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
93.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
76.6% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1960 20 yrs older than U.S. |
1958Lowest 22 yrs older than U.S. |
1981Highest 1 yr newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 8% above U.S. |
25 minLowest 5% below U.S. |
32 minHighest 23% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.8Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
2.3%±2.2Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
11.2%±3.1 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Ware and Winchendon 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 | — | #269 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Ware | — | Winchendon |
| High school in town | Ware Junior/Senior High School | — | Murdock High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.1Lowest |
— | 11.3Highest |
| 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.