Compare towns
Warren vs Plympton vs Ware vs Athol
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Warren has the most renters (35.5% rent).
Plympton has the highest household income ($127k).
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 | Warren | Plympton | Ware | Athol |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 5,009 |
2,935Lowest |
10,048 |
12,011Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.1%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+3.9%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+2% MA: +7.4% |
+3.1% MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 38.7±7.3Lowest 3% below MA |
46.4±4.2Highest 16% above MA |
43.1±4.7 8% above MA |
41.3±1.9 3% above MA |
| Plympton and Ware are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 20.8%±8 MA: 19.4% |
21.6%±5 MA: 19.4% |
19.1%±3.5Lowest 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+ | 14.6%±4.5Lowest MA: 17.9% |
22.7%±5Highest MA: 17.9% |
20.6%±3.4 MA: 17.9% |
19.3%±2.3 MA: 17.9% |
| Plympton and Ware are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 23.2% MA: 47.3% |
38.4%Highest MA: 47.3% |
24% MA: 47.3% |
20.4%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.9%±2.1Lowest MA: 7.9% |
3.2%±1.8 MA: 7.9% |
4.4%±2.2Highest 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 | $66,082±$6kLowest 36% below MA |
$126,736±$20kHighest 22% above MA |
$67,475±$15k 35% below MA |
$69,316±$5k 33% below MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $333,700±$35k 41% below MA |
$517,800±$52kHighest 8% below MA |
$289,700±$28k 48% below MA |
$268,100±$13kLowest 52% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $890±$174 49% below MA |
$555±$148Lowest 69% below MA |
$1,043±$109 41% below MA |
$1,150±$182Highest 35% below MA |
| Athol and Ware are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,530 24% below MA |
$6,628Highest 11% above MA |
$4,237 29% below MA |
$3,403Lowest 43% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 29.7%±18.4Lowest MA: 51.8% |
50.8%±40.6 MA: 51.8% |
64.3%±16.2Highest 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 | 9%Lowest MA: 10% |
10.3% MA: 10% |
11.8% MA: 10% |
16.3%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.5%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
93.1%Highest MA: 62.5% |
72.3% MA: 62.5% |
72.4% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975 11 yrs newer than MA |
1981Highest 17 yrs newer than MA |
1960 4 yrs older than MA |
1953Lowest 11 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 33 min 13% above MA |
33 minHighest 13% above MA |
28 min about the MA average |
27 minLowest 8% below MA |
| Work from home | 8.5%±5.4Lowest MA: 18.6% |
19.3%±6Highest MA: 18.6% |
12.3%±3.8 MA: 18.6% |
10.6%±3.3 MA: 18.6% |
| Plympton 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 | #165 of 282 in MA | #110 of 282 in MA | #267 of 282 in MA | #256 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Quaboag Regional | Plympton | Ware | Athol-Royalston |
| High school in town | Quaboag Regional High | None in town | Ware Junior/Senior High School | Athol High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.0Lowest |
— | 11.1 |
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.