Compare towns
Webster vs Upton vs Ware vs Gardner
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Webster has the most renters (54.5% rent).
Upton has the highest household income ($156k).
Ware has the most affordable homes ($290k 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 | Upton | Ware | Gardner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 12,228 |
8,189Lowest |
10,048 |
21,148Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.9%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+6.1% MA: +7.4% |
+2%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+5.2% MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 37.2±2.1Lowest 7% below MA |
46.4±4.8Highest 16% above MA |
43.1±4.7 8% above MA |
43.7±2.3 9% above MA |
| Upton and Gardner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 21.8%±3.6 MA: 19.4% |
23.2%±4.5Highest MA: 19.4% |
19.1%±3.5 MA: 19.4% |
18.3%±2.3Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Upton 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% |
20.7%±4.9Highest MA: 17.9% |
20.6%±3.4 MA: 17.9% |
19.6%±2.2 MA: 17.9% |
| Upton and Ware 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% |
53.5%Highest MA: 47.3% |
24% MA: 47.3% |
23.8% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6%±1.8Highest MA: 7.9% |
2.4%±1.3Lowest MA: 7.9% |
4.4%±2.2 MA: 7.9% |
4.6%±1.3 MA: 7.9% |
| Webster and Gardner 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 |
$155,508±$33kHighest 50% above MA |
$67,475±$15k 35% below MA |
$67,518±$8k 35% below MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $333,100±$14k 41% below MA |
$576,700±$41kHighest about the MA average |
$289,700±$28kLowest 48% below MA |
$301,600±$20k 46% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,198±$85Highest 32% below MA |
$948±$599Lowest 46% below MA |
$1,043±$109 41% below MA |
$1,109±$51 37% below MA |
| Webster and Gardner 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 |
$8,376Highest 40% above MA |
$4,237 29% below MA |
$4,150 31% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 46.1%±7.4Lowest MA: 51.8% |
52.8%±31 MA: 51.8% |
64.3%±16.2Highest MA: 51.8% |
49.7%±8.6 MA: 51.8% |
| Ware and Upton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 16%Highest MA: 10% |
3.2%Lowest MA: 10% |
11.8% MA: 10% |
13.7% MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 45.5%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
86.7%Highest MA: 62.5% |
72.3% MA: 62.5% |
58.9% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1954Lowest 10 yrs older than MA |
1981Highest 17 yrs newer than MA |
1960 4 yrs older than MA |
1954Lowest 10 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minLowest 5% below MA |
35 minHighest 22% above MA |
28 min about the MA average |
31 min 5% above MA |
| Work from home | 7.1%±2.9Lowest MA: 18.6% |
22.8%±5.3Highest MA: 18.6% |
12.3%±3.8 MA: 18.6% |
13.3%±3.6 MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #271 of 282 in MA | #46 of 282 in MA | #267 of 282 in MA | #273 of 282 in MA |
| School district | — | Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical · Mendon-Upton | Ware | Gardner |
| High school in town | — | Blackstone Valley | Ware Junior/Senior High School | Gardner High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 11.2 |
11.1Lowest |
13.5Highest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.