Compare towns
Webster vs Ware vs Plainville vs Douglas
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).
Ware has the oldest housing (typical home built 1960).
Plainville has the shortest commute (21 min average).
Douglas has the highest household income ($152k).
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 | Plainville | Douglas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 17,748Highest |
10,048 |
17,551 |
9,207Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
— | +6%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 39.9±2.9Lowest about the U.S. average |
43.1±4.7 11% above U.S. |
44.3±1.5Highest 14% above U.S. |
44±2.6 13% above U.S. |
| Plainville 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 U.S.: 22% |
19.1%±3.5 U.S.: 22% |
15.6%±2.3Lowest U.S.: 22% |
21.2%±3.8Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Douglas 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% |
20.6%±3.4Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.1%±2.8 U.S.: 17.2% |
15.4%±3.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Ware and Plainville 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% |
24%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
30% U.S.: 35.7% |
41.7%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.8%±1.6 U.S.: 6.4% |
4.4%±2.2Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
6.2%±1.6Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.4%±2.3 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Plainville and Webster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $72,895±$6k 10% below U.S. |
$67,475±$15kLowest 16% below U.S. |
$84,343±$7k 4% above U.S. |
$152,267±$10kHighest 89% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $361,500±$12k 9% above U.S. |
$289,700±$28k 13% below U.S. |
$254,000±$14kLowest 24% below U.S. |
$470,600±$29kHighest 41% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,228±$81 13% below U.S. |
$1,043±$109Lowest 26% below U.S. |
$1,126±$147 20% below U.S. |
$1,503±$697Highest 6% above U.S. |
| Douglas and Webster 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. |
$4,237 36% above U.S. |
$4,798 54% above U.S. |
$6,338Highest 103% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 45.7%±6.7 U.S.: 51.1% |
64.3%±16.2Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
40.3%±12.4 U.S.: 51.1% |
33.9%±17.4Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Ware and Webster 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% |
11.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
6.5% U.S.: 12.5% |
4.8%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 59.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
72.3% U.S.: 65.2% |
67.7% U.S.: 65.2% |
83.8%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1962 18 yrs older than U.S. |
1960Lowest 20 yrs older than U.S. |
1971 9 yrs older than U.S. |
1986Highest 6 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 31 min 16% above U.S. |
28 min 8% above U.S. |
21 minLowest 20% below U.S. |
34 minHighest 28% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 8%±2.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
12.3%±3.8 U.S.: 15.1% |
10.7%±2 U.S.: 15.1% |
20.9%±4.9Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Douglas and Ware 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 | #89 of 149 in CT | #177 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Webster | Ware | Judicial Centers · Plainville School District | Douglas |
| High school in town | Bartlett High School | Ware Junior/Senior High School | Plainville High School | Douglas High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.6Highest |
11.1 |
11.4 |
7.2Lowest |
| 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.