Compare towns
Wareham vs Upton vs Northbridge
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Wareham has the oldest population (median age 52.1).
Upton has the most people working from home (22.8%).
Northbridge has the most renters (29.5% rent).
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 | Wareham | Upton | Northbridge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 23,302Highest |
8,189Lowest |
16,458 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.8%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+6.1% MA: +7.4% |
+4%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 52.1±3.1Highest 30% above MA |
46.4±4.8 16% above MA |
43.8±2.6Lowest 9% above MA |
| Wareham and Upton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 13.1%±2.4Lowest MA: 19.4% |
23.2%±4.5Highest MA: 19.4% |
21.1%±2.9 MA: 19.4% |
| Upton and Northbridge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 26.2%±3.9Highest MA: 17.9% |
20.7%±4.9 MA: 17.9% |
16.4%±2.1Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Wareham and Upton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 27.1%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
53.5%Highest MA: 47.3% |
36.9% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±1.5Highest MA: 7.9% |
2.4%±1.3Lowest MA: 7.9% |
4.3%±1.3 MA: 7.9% |
| Wareham and Northbridge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $90,383±$11kLowest 13% below MA |
$155,508±$33kHighest 50% above MA |
$111,319±$19k 7% above MA |
| Upton and Northbridge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $424,500±$21kLowest 24% below MA |
$576,700±$41kHighest about the MA average |
$448,600±$15k 20% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,504±$180Highest 15% below MA |
$948±$599Lowest 46% below MA |
$1,207±$102 31% below MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,341Lowest 28% below MA |
$8,376Highest 40% above MA |
$4,821 20% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.4%±23.3 MA: 51.8% |
52.8%±31Highest MA: 51.8% |
51.2%±9.8Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Upton and Wareham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 6.7% MA: 10% |
3.2%Lowest MA: 10% |
7.9%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 83.5% MA: 62.5% |
86.7%Highest MA: 62.5% |
70.5%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1958Lowest 6 yrs older than MA |
1981Highest 17 yrs newer than MA |
1973 9 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minLowest 5% below MA |
35 minHighest 22% above MA |
31 min 7% above MA |
| Work from home | 12.4%±3.6Lowest MA: 18.6% |
22.8%±5.3Highest MA: 18.6% |
16.2%±3.6 MA: 18.6% |
| Upton and Northbridge 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 | #272 of 282 in MA | #46 of 282 in MA | #226 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Wareham | Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical · Mendon-Upton | Northbridge |
| High school in town | Wareham Senior High | Blackstone Valley | Northbridge High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 8.6Lowest |
11.2Highest |
10.8 |
| 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.