What stands out worked out from the figures below

Webster has the most renters (54.5% rent).

Ayer has the most people working from home (21.6%).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Webster	Ayer
People
Population	12,228Highest	8,645Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+6.9%Lowest MA: +7.4%	+14.2%Highest MA: +7.4%
Median age	37.2±2.1Lowest 7% below MA	39.2±2.8Highest about the MA average
	Ayer and Webster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	21.8%±3.6Highest MA: 19.4%	20.3%±3.9Lowest MA: 19.4%
	Webster and Ayer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	15.7%±2.5Highest MA: 17.9%	14.5%±2.8Lowest MA: 17.9%
	Webster and Ayer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	18.8%Lowest MA: 47.3%	42.3%Highest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	6%±1.8Highest MA: 7.9%	4.5%±1.5Lowest MA: 7.9%
	Webster and Ayer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$63,837±$8kLowest 39% below MA	$101,875±$15kHighest about the MA average
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$333,100±$14kLowest 41% below MA	$463,800±$29kHighest 17% below MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,198±$85Lowest 32% below MA	$1,415±$180Highest 20% below MA
	Ayer and Webster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,234Lowest 46% below MA	$5,057Highest 16% below MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	46.1%±7.4Highest MA: 51.8%	45.1%±14.2Lowest MA: 51.8%
	Webster and Ayer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	16%Highest MA: 10%	10.7%Lowest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	45.5%Lowest MA: 62.5%	69.2%Highest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1954Lowest 10 yrs older than MA	1977Highest 13 yrs newer than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	28 minLowest 5% below MA	33 minHighest 13% above MA
Work from home	7.1%±2.9Lowest MA: 18.6%	21.6%±5.9Highest MA: 18.6%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#271 of 282 in MA	#113 of 282 in MA
School district	—	Ayer Shirley School District
High school in town	—	Ayer Shirley Regional High School
Students per teacherat that high school	—	11.5
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	None yet	12 photos →

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.