Compare towns
Webster vs Brooklyn 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).
Brooklyn has the highest household income ($96k).
Gardner has the most people working from home (13.3%).
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 | Brooklyn | Gardner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 12,228 |
8,517Lowest |
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. |
45.6±2.5Highest 17% above U.S. |
43.7±2.3 12% above U.S. |
| Brooklyn 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% |
20.6%±4.6 U.S.: 22% |
18.3%±2.3Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Webster and Brooklyn 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% |
17.6%±2.9 U.S.: 17.2% |
19.6%±2.2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Gardner and Brooklyn 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% |
23.9%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
23.8% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6%±1.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.4%±1.7 U.S.: 6.4% |
4.6%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Webster and Brooklyn 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. |
$96,207±$15kHighest 19% above U.S. |
$67,518±$8k 16% below U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $333,100±$14kHighest about the U.S. average |
$315,200±$28k 5% below U.S. |
$301,600±$20kLowest 9% below U.S. |
| Webster and Brooklyn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,198±$85Highest 15% below U.S. |
$1,125±$98 20% below U.S. |
$1,109±$51Lowest 22% below U.S. |
| Webster and Brooklyn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,234Lowest 4% above U.S. |
$4,538Highest 45% above U.S. |
$4,150 33% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 46.1%±7.4 U.S.: 51.1% |
38.5%±19.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
49.7%±8.6Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Gardner and Webster 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% |
2.3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
13.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 45.5%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
81.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
58.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1954Lowest 26 yrs older than U.S. |
1978Highest 2 yrs older than U.S. |
1954Lowest 26 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 4% above U.S. |
27 minLowest about the U.S. average |
31 minHighest 16% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 7.1%±2.9Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
10.7%±5.4 U.S.: 15.1% |
13.3%±3.6Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Gardner and Brooklyn 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 | #113 of 149 in CT | #273 of 282 in MA |
| School district | — | Brooklyn School District | Gardner |
| High school in town | — | None in town | Gardner High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 13.5 |
| 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.