Compare towns
Ware vs Townsend vs Lancaster
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 affordable homes ($290k median).
Townsend has the most kids (21% under 18).
Lancaster has the most people working from home (33.6%).
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 | Townsend | Lancaster |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 10,048Highest |
9,100 |
8,606Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+2.3% MA: +7.4% |
+4.8%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 43.1±4.7Highest 8% above MA |
40.9±3.3Lowest about the MA average |
43.1±4.9Highest 8% above MA |
| Kids under 18 | 19.1%±3.5Lowest MA: 19.4% |
21%±3.2Highest MA: 19.4% |
19.2%±4 MA: 19.4% |
| Townsend and Lancaster 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% |
17.1%±2.1Lowest MA: 17.9% |
19.9%±4.2 MA: 17.9% |
| Ware and Lancaster 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% |
35.5% MA: 47.3% |
50.3%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.4%±2.2 MA: 7.9% |
5.1%±2.4Highest MA: 7.9% |
3%±1.8Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| Townsend 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 35% below MA |
$121,528±$23k 17% above MA |
$134,833±$27kHighest 30% above MA |
| Lancaster and Townsend 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 |
$433,200±$22k 23% below MA |
$519,100±$60kHighest 8% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,043±$109Lowest 41% below MA |
$1,469±$313 17% below MA |
$2,338±$539Highest 33% above MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,237Lowest 29% below MA |
$6,031 about the MA average |
$7,235Highest 21% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 64.3%±16.2 MA: 51.8% |
50.6%±16.8Lowest MA: 51.8% |
68.3%±36.7Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Lancaster 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% |
8.9% MA: 10% |
1.4%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 72.3%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
82% MA: 62.5% |
85.1%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1960Lowest 4 yrs older than MA |
1976Highest 12 yrs newer than MA |
1971 7 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minLowest about the MA average |
37 minHighest 27% above MA |
32 min 9% above MA |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.8 MA: 18.6% |
10.5%±2.8Lowest MA: 18.6% |
33.6%±9.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #267 of 282 in MA | #136 of 282 in MA | #145 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Ware | North Middlesex | Nashoba |
| High school in town | Ware Junior/Senior High School | North Middlesex Regional | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.1Lowest |
13.1Highest |
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| 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.