Compare towns
Ware vs Springfield 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 people working from home (12.3%).
Springfield has the most renters (50.4% rent).
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 | Springfield | Palmer Town |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 10,048Lowest |
154,749Highest |
12,381 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2% MA: +7.4% |
+1.9%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+2.5%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 43.1±4.7 8% above MA |
33.7±0.5Lowest 16% below MA |
47.8±5.6Highest 20% above MA |
| Palmer Town and Ware are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19.1%±3.5 MA: 19.4% |
24.2%±0.9Highest MA: 19.4% |
15.1%±3.1Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 20.6%±3.4 MA: 17.9% |
13.2%±0.7Lowest MA: 17.9% |
20.9%±4.2Highest MA: 17.9% |
| 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%Highest MA: 47.3% |
20.5%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
23.5% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.4%±2.2 MA: 7.9% |
7.5%±0.5Highest MA: 7.9% |
3.4%±1.5Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $67,475±$15k 35% below MA |
$52,656±$2kLowest 49% below MA |
$78,480±$8kHighest 25% below MA |
| Palmer Town 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±$28kHighest 48% below MA |
$245,000±$4kLowest 56% below MA |
$271,400±$21k 52% below MA |
| Ware and Palmer Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,043±$109Lowest 41% below MA |
$1,144±$55Highest 35% below MA |
$1,075±$103 39% below MA |
| Springfield and Palmer Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,237 29% below MA |
$3,695Lowest 38% below MA |
$4,540Highest 24% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 64.3%±16.2Highest MA: 51.8% |
57.7%±3.1 MA: 51.8% |
52.9%±10.6Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Ware and Springfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 11.8% MA: 10% |
25.8%Highest MA: 10% |
8.3%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 72.3%Highest MA: 62.5% |
49.6%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
71.5% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1960 4 yrs older than MA |
1952Lowest 12 yrs older than MA |
1962Highest 2 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min about the MA average |
20 minLowest 31% below MA |
31 minHighest 8% above MA |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.8Highest MA: 18.6% |
8.4%±0.9 MA: 18.6% |
7.3%±2.7Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Ware and Springfield 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 | #276 of 282 in MA | #252 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Ware | Springfield | Palmer · Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical |
| High school in town | Ware Junior/Senior High School | Springfield Central High | Pathfinder Vocational Technical |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.1 |
12.2Highest |
9.9Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.