Compare towns
Ware vs West Springfield Town 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 people working from home (12.3%).
West Springfield Town has the shortest commute (19 min average).
Athol has grown the fastest since 2010 (+3.1%).
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 | West Springfield Town | Athol |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 10,048Lowest |
28,772Highest |
12,011 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2% MA: +7.4% |
+1.6%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+3.1%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 43.1±4.7Highest 8% above MA |
40.1±2.6Lowest about the MA average |
41.3±1.9 3% above MA |
| Ware and Athol 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% |
18.9%±2.3Lowest MA: 19.4% |
21.8%±3.2Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Athol and Ware 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% |
17.5%±1.7Lowest MA: 17.9% |
19.3%±2.3 MA: 17.9% |
| Ware and Athol 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% |
34%Highest MA: 47.3% |
20.4%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.4%±2.2 MA: 7.9% |
5.7%±1.3Highest MA: 7.9% |
3.6%±1.1Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| West Springfield Town 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 |
$69,371±$7kHighest 33% below MA |
$69,316±$5k 33% below MA |
| West Springfield Town and Athol 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 |
$321,500±$16kHighest 43% below MA |
$268,100±$13kLowest 52% below MA |
| West Springfield Town and Ware 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±$68 35% below MA |
$1,150±$182Highest 35% below MA |
| Athol and West Springfield 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 |
$4,380Highest 27% below MA |
$3,403Lowest 43% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 64.3%±16.2Highest MA: 51.8% |
60.1%±9.1 MA: 51.8% |
57.5%±17.2Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Ware and West Springfield Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 11.8%Lowest MA: 10% |
11.9% MA: 10% |
16.3%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 72.3% MA: 62.5% |
58.5%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
72.4%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1960Highest 4 yrs older than MA |
1958 6 yrs older than MA |
1953Lowest 11 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minHighest about the MA average |
19 minLowest 34% below MA |
27 min 8% below MA |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.8Highest MA: 18.6% |
10.4%±2.4Lowest MA: 18.6% |
10.6%±3.3 MA: 18.6% |
| Ware and Athol 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 | #218 of 282 in MA | #256 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Ware | West Springfield | Athol-Royalston |
| High school in town | Ware Junior/Senior High School | West Springfield High | Athol High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.1Lowest |
13.1Highest |
11.6 |
| 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.