Compare towns
Ware vs Townsend vs New Salem
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 highest household income ($122k).
New Salem has the most people working from home (19.4%).
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 | New Salem |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 10,048Highest |
9,100 |
1,054Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2% MA: +7.4% |
+2.3%Highest MA: +7.4% |
-0.7%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 43.1±4.7 8% above MA |
40.9±3.3Lowest about the MA average |
55.6±2.4Highest 39% above MA |
| Kids under 18 | 19.1%±3.5 MA: 19.4% |
21%±3.2Highest MA: 19.4% |
14.5%±4.5Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Townsend and Ware are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 20.6%±3.4 MA: 17.9% |
17.1%±2.1Lowest MA: 17.9% |
23.7%±6.5Highest MA: 17.9% |
| New Salem 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%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
35.5%Highest MA: 47.3% |
35.4% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.4%±2.2 MA: 7.9% |
5.1%±2.4Highest MA: 7.9% |
3.1%±1.6Lowest 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±$23kHighest 17% above MA |
$79,688±$19k 23% below MA |
| Townsend and New Salem 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±$22kHighest 23% below MA |
$359,000±$40k 36% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,043±$109Lowest 41% below MA |
$1,469±$313Highest 17% below MA |
$1,194±$88 32% below MA |
| Townsend and New Salem are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,237Lowest 29% below MA |
$6,031Highest about the MA average |
$4,509 25% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 64.3%±16.2 MA: 51.8% |
50.6%±16.8Lowest MA: 51.8% |
86.7%±25.8Highest MA: 51.8% |
| New Salem 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%Lowest MA: 10% |
9.7% MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 72.3%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
82% MA: 62.5% |
89%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1960Lowest 4 yrs older than MA |
1976Highest 12 yrs newer than MA |
1973 9 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min about the MA average |
37 minHighest 27% above MA |
23 minLowest 20% below MA |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.8 MA: 18.6% |
10.5%±2.8Lowest MA: 18.6% |
19.4%±8Highest MA: 18.6% |
| New Salem 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 | #136 of 282 in MA | — |
| School district | Ware | North Middlesex | — |
| High school in town | Ware Junior/Senior High School | North Middlesex Regional | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.1Lowest |
13.1Highest |
— |
| 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.