Compare towns
Ware vs Warwick vs Plympton vs Athol
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 renters (27.7% rent).
Warwick has the most people working from home (22.4%).
Plympton has the most expensive homes ($518k median).
Athol has the most affordable homes ($268k median).
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 | Warwick | Plympton | Athol |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 10,048 |
776Lowest |
2,935 |
12,011Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2% MA: +7.4% |
0%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+3.9%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+3.1% MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 43.1±4.7 8% above MA |
51.4±7.3Highest 29% above MA |
46.4±4.2 16% above MA |
41.3±1.9Lowest 3% above MA |
| Warwick and Plympton 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% |
9.9%±3.4Lowest MA: 19.4% |
21.6%±5 MA: 19.4% |
21.8%±3.2Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Athol and Plympton 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% |
23.2%±3.3Highest MA: 17.9% |
22.7%±5 MA: 17.9% |
19.3%±2.3Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Warwick and Plympton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 24% MA: 47.3% |
40.5%Highest MA: 47.3% |
38.4% MA: 47.3% |
20.4%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.4%±2.2Highest MA: 7.9% |
2.4%±2.1Lowest MA: 7.9% |
3.2%±1.8 MA: 7.9% |
3.6%±1.1 MA: 7.9% |
| Ware and Athol 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 |
$93,333±$22k 10% below MA |
$126,736±$20kHighest 22% above MA |
$69,316±$5k 33% below MA |
| Plympton and Warwick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $289,700±$28k 48% below MA |
$349,400±$34k 38% below MA |
$517,800±$52kHighest 8% below MA |
$268,100±$13kLowest 52% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,043±$109 41% below MA |
$1,367±$163Highest 22% below MA |
$555±$148Lowest 69% below MA |
$1,150±$182 35% below MA |
| Warwick and Athol 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 |
$4,380 27% below MA |
$6,628Highest 11% above MA |
$3,403Lowest 43% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 64.3%±16.2Highest MA: 51.8% |
33.3%±57.3Lowest MA: 51.8% |
50.8%±40.6 MA: 51.8% |
57.5%±17.2 MA: 51.8% |
| Ware and Athol are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 11.8% MA: 10% |
5%Lowest MA: 10% |
10.3% MA: 10% |
16.3%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 72.3%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
89% MA: 62.5% |
93.1%Highest MA: 62.5% |
72.4% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1960 4 yrs older than MA |
1974 10 yrs newer than MA |
1981Highest 17 yrs newer than MA |
1953Lowest 11 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min about the MA average |
40 minHighest 37% above MA |
33 min 13% above MA |
27 minLowest 8% below MA |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.8 MA: 18.6% |
22.4%±6.9Highest MA: 18.6% |
19.3%±6 MA: 18.6% |
10.6%±3.3Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Warwick and Plympton 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 | — | #110 of 282 in MA | #256 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Ware | Warwick | Plympton | Athol-Royalston |
| High school in town | Ware Junior/Senior High School | None in town | None in town | Athol High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.1Lowest |
— | — | 11.6Highest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.