Compare towns
Webster vs Ashby vs Brooklyn
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 (40.2% rent).
Ashby has the most people working from home (17.8%).
Brooklyn has the most affordable homes ($315k 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 | Ashby | Brooklyn |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 17,748Highest |
3,211Lowest |
8,517 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+3.9%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
— |
| Median age | 39.9±2.9Lowest about the U.S. average |
50.5±3Highest 30% above U.S. |
45.6±2.5 17% above U.S. |
| Ashby and Brooklyn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19.6%±2.9 U.S.: 22% |
17%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 22% |
20.6%±4.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Brooklyn and Webster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.6%±2.5 U.S.: 17.2% |
21.5%±4.3Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
17.6%±2.9Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Ashby and Webster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 25.3% U.S.: 35.7% |
43.7%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
23.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.8%±1.6Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
3%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.4%±1.7 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 | $72,895±$6kLowest 10% below U.S. |
$115,598±$9kHighest 43% above U.S. |
$96,207±$15k 19% above U.S. |
| Ashby and Brooklyn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $361,500±$12k 9% above U.S. |
$390,500±$30kHighest 17% above U.S. |
$315,200±$28kLowest 5% below U.S. |
| Ashby and Webster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,228±$81Highest 13% below U.S. |
$1,200±$484 15% below U.S. |
$1,125±$98Lowest 20% below U.S. |
| Webster and Ashby are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,999Lowest 28% above U.S. |
$6,034Highest 93% above U.S. |
$4,538 45% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 45.7%±6.7Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
36.4%±53.5Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
38.5%±19.3 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Webster and Brooklyn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 12.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
2.6% U.S.: 12.5% |
2.3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 59.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
95.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
81.7% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1962Lowest 18 yrs older than U.S. |
1970 10 yrs older than U.S. |
1978Highest 2 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 31 min 16% above U.S. |
33 minHighest 25% above U.S. |
27 minLowest about the U.S. average |
| Work from home | 8%±2.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
17.8%±5.8Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
10.7%±5.4 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Ashby 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 | #200 of 282 in MA | #113 of 149 in CT |
| School district | Webster | North Middlesex | Brooklyn School District |
| High school in town | Bartlett High School | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.6 |
— | — |
| 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.