Compare towns
Webster vs Beacon Falls vs Gardner
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Webster has the most renters (54.5% rent).
Beacon Falls has the most people working from home (20.3%).
Gardner has the most affordable homes ($302k 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 | Webster | Beacon Falls | Gardner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 12,228 |
6,147Lowest |
21,148Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.9%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
— | +5.2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 37.2±2.1Lowest 4% below U.S. |
48.4±3.8Highest 24% above U.S. |
43.7±2.3 12% above U.S. |
| Beacon Falls and Gardner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 21.8%±3.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
18%±4.8Lowest U.S.: 22% |
18.3%±2.3 U.S.: 22% |
| Webster and Gardner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 15.7%±2.5Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
23.5%±4.4Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
19.6%±2.2 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Beacon Falls and Gardner 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 U.S.: 35.7% |
44.6%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
23.8% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6%±1.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.3%±3.2 U.S.: 6.4% |
4.6%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Webster and Beacon Falls 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 21% below U.S. |
$101,516±$42kHighest 26% above U.S. |
$67,518±$8k 16% below U.S. |
| Beacon Falls and Gardner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $333,100±$14k about the U.S. average |
$350,300±$34kHighest 5% above U.S. |
$301,600±$20kLowest 9% below U.S. |
| Beacon Falls and Webster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,198±$85 15% below U.S. |
$1,921±$286Highest 36% above U.S. |
$1,109±$51Lowest 22% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,234Lowest 4% above U.S. |
$6,534Highest 109% above U.S. |
$4,150 33% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 46.1%±7.4Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
50.7%±30.4Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
49.7%±8.6 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Beacon Falls and Gardner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 16%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
2.1%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
13.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 45.5%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
85.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
58.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1954Lowest 26 yrs older than U.S. |
1985Highest 5 yrs newer than U.S. |
1954Lowest 26 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minLowest 4% above U.S. |
33 minHighest 24% above U.S. |
31 min 16% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 7.1%±2.9Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
20.3%±7.4Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
13.3%±3.6 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Beacon Falls and Gardner 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 | #271 of 282 in MA | #77 of 149 in CT | #273 of 282 in MA |
| School district | — | Regional School District 16 | Gardner |
| High school in town | — | Woodland Regional High School | Gardner High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 11.2Lowest |
13.5Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | 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.