Compare towns
Ware vs Webster vs Chaplin vs Palmer Town
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Webster has the most renters (54.5% rent).
Chaplin has the most people working from home (18.1%).
Palmer Town has the oldest population (median age 47.8).
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 | Webster | Chaplin | Palmer Town |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 10,048 |
12,228 |
2,070Lowest |
12,381Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.9%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
— | +2.5% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 43.1±4.7 11% above U.S. |
37.2±2.1Lowest 4% below U.S. |
43.7±4.8 12% above U.S. |
47.8±5.6Highest 23% above U.S. |
| Palmer Town and Chaplin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 19.1%±3.5 U.S.: 22% |
21.8%±3.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
15.7%±4.2 U.S.: 22% |
15.1%±3.1Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Webster 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 U.S.: 17.2% |
15.7%±2.5Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.9%±4.4Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.9%±4.2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 24% U.S.: 35.7% |
18.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
25.4%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
23.5% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.4%±2.2 U.S.: 6.4% |
6%±1.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
10.1%±6.2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.4%±1.5Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Chaplin and Webster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $67,475±$15k 16% below U.S. |
$63,837±$8kLowest 21% below U.S. |
$97,846±$14kHighest 21% above U.S. |
$78,480±$8k about the U.S. average |
| Chaplin and Palmer Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $289,700±$28k 13% below U.S. |
$333,100±$14kHighest about the U.S. average |
$255,200±$24kLowest 23% below U.S. |
$271,400±$21k 18% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,043±$109Lowest 26% below U.S. |
$1,198±$85 15% below U.S. |
$1,473±$275Highest 4% above U.S. |
$1,075±$103 24% below U.S. |
| Chaplin and Webster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,237 36% above U.S. |
$3,234Lowest 4% above U.S. |
$4,524 45% above U.S. |
$4,540Highest 46% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 64.3%±16.2Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
46.1%±7.4 U.S.: 51.1% |
33.6%±27.7Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
52.9%±10.6 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Ware and Palmer Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 11.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
16%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
5.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
8.3% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 72.3% U.S.: 65.2% |
45.5%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
82.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
71.5% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1960 20 yrs older than U.S. |
1954Lowest 26 yrs older than U.S. |
1979Highest 1 yr older than U.S. |
1962 18 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 8% above U.S. |
28 minLowest 4% above U.S. |
32 minHighest 23% above U.S. |
31 min 19% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.8 U.S.: 15.1% |
7.1%±2.9Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
18.1%±10Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
7.3%±2.7 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Chaplin 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 | #271 of 282 in MA | — | #252 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Ware | — | Chaplin School District · Regional School District 11 | Palmer · Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical |
| High school in town | Ware Junior/Senior High School | — | Parish Hill High School | Pathfinder Vocational Technical |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.1Highest |
— | 7.5Lowest |
9.9 |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet | None yet |
U.S. 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.