Compare towns
Webster vs Lancaster vs Webster
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
Bordering WebsterDudley
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Webster has the most renters (54.5% rent).
Lancaster has the most people working from home (33.6%).
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.
| Measure | Webster | Lancaster | Webster |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 12,228 |
8,606Lowest |
17,748Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.9%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+4.8%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+6% MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 37.2±2.1Lowest 7% below MA |
43.1±4.9Highest 8% above MA |
39.9±2.9 about the MA average |
| Lancaster 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% |
19.2%±4Lowest MA: 19.4% |
19.6%±2.9 MA: 19.4% |
| Webster and Webster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 15.7%±2.5Lowest MA: 17.9% |
19.9%±4.2Highest MA: 17.9% |
19.6%±2.5 MA: 17.9% |
| Lancaster and Webster 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% |
50.3%Highest MA: 47.3% |
25.3% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6%±1.8Highest MA: 7.9% |
3%±1.8Lowest MA: 7.9% |
5.8%±1.6 MA: 7.9% |
| Webster and Webster 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 |
$134,833±$27kHighest 30% above MA |
$72,895±$6k 30% below MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $333,100±$14kLowest 41% below MA |
$519,100±$60kHighest 8% below MA |
$361,500±$12k 36% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,198±$85Lowest 32% below MA |
$2,338±$539Highest 33% above MA |
$1,228±$81 30% below MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,234Lowest 46% below MA |
$7,235Highest 21% above MA |
$3,999 33% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 46.1%±7.4 MA: 51.8% |
68.3%±36.7Highest MA: 51.8% |
45.7%±6.7Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Lancaster and Webster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 16%Highest MA: 10% |
1.4%Lowest MA: 10% |
12.7% MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 45.5%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
85.1%Highest MA: 62.5% |
59.8% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1954Lowest 10 yrs older than MA |
1971Highest 7 yrs newer than MA |
1962 2 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minLowest 5% below MA |
32 minHighest 9% above MA |
31 min 5% above MA |
| Work from home | 7.1%±2.9Lowest MA: 18.6% |
33.6%±9.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
8%±2.5 MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #271 of 282 in MA | #145 of 282 in MA | #271 of 282 in MA |
| School district | — | Nashoba | Webster |
| High school in town | — | None in town | Bartlett High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 11.6 |
| 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.