Compare towns
Ware vs Petersham vs Palmer Town
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 kids (19.1% under 18).
Petersham has the highest household income ($111k).
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 | Petersham | Palmer Town |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 10,048 |
1,185Lowest |
12,381Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2% MA: +7.4% |
-3.2%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+2.5%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 43.1±4.7Lowest 8% above MA |
56.3±2.7Highest 41% above MA |
47.8±5.6 20% above MA |
| Kids under 18 | 19.1%±3.5Highest MA: 19.4% |
12.7%±2.5Lowest MA: 19.4% |
15.1%±3.1 MA: 19.4% |
| 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 MA: 17.9% |
30.5%±4.7Highest MA: 17.9% |
20.9%±4.2 MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 24% MA: 47.3% |
42.6%Highest MA: 47.3% |
23.5%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.4%±2.2Highest MA: 7.9% |
4%±1.7 MA: 7.9% |
3.4%±1.5Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| Ware and Petersham 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 |
$110,750±$20kHighest 7% above MA |
$78,480±$8k 25% below MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $289,700±$28k 48% below MA |
$392,400±$20kHighest 30% below MA |
$271,400±$21kLowest 52% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,043±$109Lowest 41% below MA |
$1,679±$441Highest 5% below MA |
$1,075±$103 39% below MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,237Lowest 29% below MA |
$4,636Highest 23% below MA |
$4,540 24% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 64.3%±16.2Highest MA: 51.8% |
20%±100Lowest MA: 51.8% |
52.9%±10.6 MA: 51.8% |
| Ware and Palmer Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 11.8%Highest MA: 10% |
8.8% MA: 10% |
8.3%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 72.3% MA: 62.5% |
94.2%Highest MA: 62.5% |
71.5%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1960Lowest 4 yrs older than MA |
1962Highest 2 yrs older than MA |
1962Highest 2 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minLowest about the MA average |
39 minHighest 32% above MA |
31 min 8% above MA |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.8 MA: 18.6% |
16.2%±5.8Highest MA: 18.6% |
7.3%±2.7Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Petersham 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 | Petersham | 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 Our Story | 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.