Compare towns
Webster vs Lancaster vs Upton vs Douglas
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 (40.2% rent).
Lancaster has the most people working from home (33.6%).
Upton has the most expensive homes ($577k 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 | Lancaster | Upton | Douglas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 17,748Highest |
8,606 |
8,189Lowest |
9,207 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6% MA: +7.4% |
+4.8%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+6.1%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+6% MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 39.9±2.9Lowest about the MA average |
43.1±4.9 8% above MA |
46.4±4.8Highest 16% above MA |
44±2.6 10% above MA |
| Upton and Douglas are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 19.6%±2.9 MA: 19.4% |
19.2%±4Lowest MA: 19.4% |
23.2%±4.5Highest MA: 19.4% |
21.2%±3.8 MA: 19.4% |
| Upton and Douglas are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 19.6%±2.5 MA: 17.9% |
19.9%±4.2 MA: 17.9% |
20.7%±4.9Highest MA: 17.9% |
15.4%±3.1Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Upton and Lancaster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 25.3%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
50.3% MA: 47.3% |
53.5%Highest MA: 47.3% |
41.7% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.8%±1.6Highest MA: 7.9% |
3%±1.8 MA: 7.9% |
2.4%±1.3Lowest MA: 7.9% |
5.4%±2.3 MA: 7.9% |
| Webster and Douglas 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 30% below MA |
$134,833±$27k 30% above MA |
$155,508±$33kHighest 50% above MA |
$152,267±$10k 46% above MA |
| Upton and Douglas are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $361,500±$12kLowest 36% below MA |
$519,100±$60k 8% below MA |
$576,700±$41kHighest about the MA average |
$470,600±$29k 16% below MA |
| Upton and Lancaster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,228±$81 30% below MA |
$2,338±$539Highest 33% above MA |
$948±$599Lowest 46% below MA |
$1,503±$697 15% below MA |
| Lancaster and Douglas are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,999Lowest 33% below MA |
$7,235 21% above MA |
$8,376Highest 40% above MA |
$6,338 6% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 45.7%±6.7 MA: 51.8% |
68.3%±36.7Highest MA: 51.8% |
52.8%±31 MA: 51.8% |
33.9%±17.4Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Lancaster and Upton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 12.7%Highest MA: 10% |
1.4%Lowest MA: 10% |
3.2% MA: 10% |
4.8% MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 59.8%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
85.1% MA: 62.5% |
86.7%Highest MA: 62.5% |
83.8% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1962Lowest 2 yrs older than MA |
1971 7 yrs newer than MA |
1981 17 yrs newer than MA |
1986Highest 22 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 31 minLowest 5% above MA |
32 min 9% above MA |
35 minHighest 22% above MA |
34 min 16% above MA |
| Work from home | 8%±2.5Lowest MA: 18.6% |
33.6%±9.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
22.8%±5.3 MA: 18.6% |
20.9%±4.9 MA: 18.6% |
| Lancaster and Upton 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 | #145 of 282 in MA | #46 of 282 in MA | #177 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Webster | Nashoba | Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical · Mendon-Upton | Douglas |
| High school in town | Bartlett High School | None in town | Blackstone Valley | Douglas High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.6Highest |
— | 11.2 |
7.2Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.