Compare towns
Webster vs Ware vs Putnam vs Dudley
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).
Ware has the most people working from home (12.3%).
Putnam has the shortest commute (25 min average).
Dudley has the highest household income ($85k).
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 | Ware | Putnam | Dudley |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 12,228Highest |
10,048 |
9,292Lowest |
11,929 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.9%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
— | +4.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 37.2±2.1Lowest 4% below U.S. |
43.1±4.7 11% above U.S. |
43.7±3Highest 12% above U.S. |
40.2±2.4 3% above U.S. |
| Putnam and Ware 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% |
19.1%±3.5 U.S.: 22% |
18.6%±3.6Lowest U.S.: 22% |
20.6%±3.3 U.S.: 22% |
| Webster and Dudley 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% |
20.6%±3.4Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
18.5%±3.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
16.9%±3 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Ware and Putnam 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% |
24% U.S.: 35.7% |
20% U.S.: 35.7% |
24.1%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6%±1.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
4.4%±2.2 U.S.: 6.4% |
3.9%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
13.1%±2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $63,837±$8kLowest 21% below U.S. |
$67,475±$15k 16% below U.S. |
$70,561±$7k 13% below U.S. |
$84,604±$12kHighest 5% above U.S. |
| Dudley and Putnam 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 |
$289,700±$28k 13% below U.S. |
$269,200±$11kLowest 19% below U.S. |
$392,600±$19kHighest 18% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,198±$85 15% below U.S. |
$1,043±$109Lowest 26% below U.S. |
$1,149±$44 19% below U.S. |
$1,217±$182Highest 14% below U.S. |
| Dudley and Webster 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. |
$4,237Highest 36% above U.S. |
$3,860 24% above U.S. |
$3,691 18% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 46.1%±7.4 U.S.: 51.1% |
64.3%±16.2Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
37.7%±11.6Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
47.4%±4.1 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Ware and Dudley 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% |
11.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
11.5% U.S.: 12.5% |
6.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 45.5%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
72.3% U.S.: 65.2% |
59.8% U.S.: 65.2% |
73.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1954Lowest 26 yrs older than U.S. |
1960 20 yrs older than U.S. |
1961 19 yrs older than U.S. |
1967Highest 13 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 4% above U.S. |
28 minHighest 8% above U.S. |
25 minLowest 6% below U.S. |
27 min 4% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 7.1%±2.9Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
12.3%±3.8Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
9%±2.8 U.S.: 15.1% |
9.1%±2.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Ware and Dudley 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 | #267 of 282 in MA | #128 of 149 in CT | #142 of 282 in MA |
| School district | — | Ware | Putnam School District | Dudley-Charlton Reg |
| High school in town | — | Ware Junior/Senior High School | Putnam High School | Shepherd Hill Regional High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 11.1 |
9.5Lowest |
14.3Highest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.