What stands out worked out from the figures below

Ware has the most people working from home (12.3%).

Phillipston has the highest household income ($95k).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Ware	Phillipston
People
Population	10,048Highest	1,895Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+2%Lowest MA: +7.4%	+2.6%Highest MA: +7.4%
Median age	43.1±4.7Lowest 8% above MA	48.8±1.7Highest 22% above MA
	Phillipston and Ware are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	19.1%±3.5Highest MA: 19.4%	17%±5Lowest MA: 19.4%
	Ware and Phillipston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	20.6%±3.4Highest MA: 17.9%	17.9%±1.3Lowest MA: 17.9%
	Ware and Phillipston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	24%Lowest MA: 47.3%	25.4%Highest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4.4%±2.2Highest MA: 7.9%	4%±1.6Lowest MA: 7.9%
	Ware and Phillipston 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	$94,692±$14kHighest 9% below MA
	Phillipston and Ware are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$289,700±$28kLowest 48% below MA	$372,400±$27kHighest 34% below MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,043±$109Lowest 41% below MA	$1,375±$849Highest 22% below MA
	Phillipston and Ware are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,237Highest 29% below MA	$3,914Lowest 35% below MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	64.3%±16.2Lowest MA: 51.8%	100%±100Highest MA: 51.8%
	Phillipston and Ware 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%	5.7%Lowest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	72.3%Lowest MA: 62.5%	92.4%Highest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1960Lowest 4 yrs older than MA	1984Highest 20 yrs newer than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	28 minLowest about the MA average	29 minHighest about the MA average
Work from home	12.3%±3.8Highest MA: 18.6%	9.2%±3.7Lowest MA: 18.6%
	Ware and Phillipston 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	—
School district	Ware	—
High school in town	Ware Junior/Senior High School	—
Students per teacherat that high school	11.1	—
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.