Compare towns
Ware vs Jericho vs Athol 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
Jericho has the most people working from home (21.8%).
Athol has grown the fastest since 2010 (+3.1%).
Palmer Town has the most renters (28.5% rent).
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 | Jericho | Athol | Palmer Town |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 10,048 |
5,114Lowest |
12,011 |
12,381Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2% U.S.: +7.4% |
+1.9%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+3.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+2.5% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 43.1±4.7 11% above U.S. |
49.7±5.1Highest 28% above U.S. |
41.3±1.9Lowest 6% above U.S. |
47.8±5.6 23% above U.S. |
| Jericho and Palmer Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 19.1%±3.5 U.S.: 22% |
19.5%±4.2 U.S.: 22% |
21.8%±3.2Highest U.S.: 22% |
15.1%±3.1Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Athol and Jericho 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% |
20.2%±4.4 U.S.: 17.2% |
19.3%±2.3Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.9%±4.2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Palmer Town 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% |
65.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
20.4%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
23.5% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.4%±2.2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.4%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.6%±1.1 U.S.: 6.4% |
3.4%±1.5 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Ware and Athol 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. |
$116,923±$16kHighest 45% above U.S. |
$69,316±$5k 14% below U.S. |
$78,480±$8k about the U.S. average |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $289,700±$28k 13% below U.S. |
$493,100±$38kHighest 48% above U.S. |
$268,100±$13kLowest 19% below U.S. |
$271,400±$21k 18% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,043±$109Lowest 26% below U.S. |
$1,731±$111Highest 23% above U.S. |
$1,150±$182 19% below U.S. |
$1,075±$103 24% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,237 36% above U.S. |
$7,318Highest 135% above U.S. |
$3,403Lowest 9% above U.S. |
$4,540 46% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 64.3%±16.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
79.3%±52.9Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
57.5%±17.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
52.9%±10.6Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Jericho 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% |
0.9%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
16.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
8.3% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 72.3% U.S.: 65.2% |
92.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
72.4% U.S.: 65.2% |
71.5%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1960 20 yrs older than U.S. |
1983Highest 3 yrs newer than U.S. |
1953Lowest 27 yrs older than U.S. |
1962 18 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 8% above U.S. |
26 minLowest about the U.S. average |
27 min about the U.S. average |
31 minHighest 19% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.8 U.S.: 15.1% |
21.8%±6.4Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
10.6%±3.3 U.S.: 15.1% |
7.3%±2.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Jericho 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 | #6 of 70 in VT | #256 of 282 in MA | #252 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Ware | Mount Mansfield Unified Union School District #401 | Athol-Royalston | Palmer · Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical |
| High school in town | Ware Junior/Senior High School | Mt. Mansfield Union High School | Athol High | Pathfinder Vocational Technical |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.1 |
13.0Highest |
11.6 |
9.9Lowest |
| 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.