Compare towns
Ware vs Woonsocket vs Winchendon vs Dudley
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Ware has the most people working from home (12.3%).
Woonsocket has the most renters (62.8% rent).
Winchendon has the most homeowners (76.6%).
Dudley has the most expensive homes ($393k 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 | Woonsocket | Winchendon | Dudley |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 10,048Lowest |
43,521Highest |
10,440 |
11,929 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2% U.S.: +7.4% |
+5%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+0.6%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+4.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 43.1±4.7Highest 11% above U.S. |
35.7±1.3Lowest 8% below U.S. |
39.6±1.9 about the U.S. average |
40.2±2.4 3% above U.S. |
| Ware and Dudley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 19.1%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 22% |
23.3%±2Highest U.S.: 22% |
21.8%±3.9 U.S.: 22% |
20.6%±3.3 U.S.: 22% |
| Woonsocket and Winchendon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 20.6%±3.4Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
14.7%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
16.9%±2.7 U.S.: 17.2% |
16.9%±3 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Ware and Winchendon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 24% U.S.: 35.7% |
19.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
21.4% U.S.: 35.7% |
24.1%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.4%±2.2Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.1%±0.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
4.5%±1.5 U.S.: 6.4% |
13.1%±2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $67,475±$15k 16% below U.S. |
$61,059±$5kLowest 24% below U.S. |
$75,690±$14k 6% below U.S. |
$84,604±$12kHighest 5% above U.S. |
| Dudley and Winchendon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $289,700±$28kLowest 13% below U.S. |
$311,000±$15k 7% below U.S. |
$323,800±$19k about the U.S. average |
$392,600±$19kHighest 18% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,043±$109Lowest 26% below U.S. |
$1,161±$48 18% below U.S. |
$1,255±$163Highest 11% below U.S. |
$1,217±$182 14% below U.S. |
| Winchendon and Dudley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,237Highest 36% above U.S. |
$3,960 27% above U.S. |
$3,780 21% above U.S. |
$3,691Lowest 18% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 64.3%±16.2Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
46.7%±5.4Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
61.7%±17.6 U.S.: 51.1% |
47.4%±4.1 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Ware and Winchendon 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% |
18.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
18.5% U.S.: 12.5% |
6.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 72.3% U.S.: 65.2% |
37.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
76.6%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
73.1% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1960 20 yrs older than U.S. |
1952Lowest 28 yrs older than U.S. |
1981Highest 1 yr newer than U.S. |
1967 13 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 8% above U.S. |
29 min 11% above U.S. |
32 minHighest 23% above U.S. |
27 minLowest 4% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.8Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
6.4%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
11.2%±3.1 U.S.: 15.1% |
9.1%±2.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Ware and Winchendon 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 | #37 of 38 in RI | #269 of 282 in MA | #142 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Ware | RISE Prep Mayoral Academy · Woonsocket | Winchendon | Dudley-Charlton Reg |
| High school in town | Ware Junior/Senior High School | Woonsocket High School | Murdock High School | Shepherd Hill Regional High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.1Lowest |
15.2Highest |
11.3 |
14.3 |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | 6 photos → | 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.