Compare towns
Webster vs Pelham 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).
Pelham has the highest household income ($136k).
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 | Pelham | Gardner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 12,228Lowest |
14,449 |
21,148Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.9% U.S.: +7.4% |
+10.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+5.2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 37.2±2.1Lowest 4% below U.S. |
41.5±2.7 7% above U.S. |
43.7±2.3Highest 12% above U.S. |
| Gardner and Pelham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 21.8%±3.6 U.S.: 22% |
22%±2.7Highest U.S.: 22% |
18.3%±2.3Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Pelham 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 U.S.: 17.2% |
16.5%±1.8 U.S.: 17.2% |
19.6%±2.2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Gardner and Pelham 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% |
40%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
23.8% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6%±1.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.9%±1.3 U.S.: 6.4% |
4.6%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Webster and Pelham 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. |
$135,956±$19kHighest 68% above U.S. |
$67,518±$8k 16% below U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $333,100±$14k about the U.S. average |
$552,600±$27kHighest 66% above U.S. |
$301,600±$20kLowest 9% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,198±$85 15% below U.S. |
$1,425±$88Highest about the U.S. average |
$1,109±$51Lowest 22% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,234Lowest 4% above U.S. |
$8,634Highest 177% above U.S. |
$4,150 33% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 46.1%±7.4Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
67.3%±12.5Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
49.7%±8.6 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Pelham 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% |
3.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
13.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 45.5%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
86.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
58.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1954Lowest 26 yrs older than U.S. |
1987Highest 7 yrs newer than U.S. |
1954Lowest 26 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minLowest 4% above U.S. |
30 min 12% above U.S. |
31 minHighest 16% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 7.1%±2.9Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
22.8%±3.3Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
13.3%±3.6 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #271 of 282 in MA | #48 of 120 in NH | #273 of 282 in MA |
| School district | — | Pelham School District | Gardner |
| High school in town | — | Pelham High School | Gardner High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 10.4Lowest |
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.