Compare towns
Windham vs Worcester vs Ware vs Ripton
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Worcester has the most people working from home (23.6%).
Ware has the most renters (27.7% rent).
Ripton has the highest household income ($113k).
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 | Windham | Worcester | Ware | Ripton |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 594 |
831 |
10,048Highest |
508Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | -3.4%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+2% U.S.: +7.4% |
+25.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 44.2±7.4 14% above U.S. |
47±2.7 21% above U.S. |
43.1±4.7Lowest 11% above U.S. |
47.7±14.2Highest 23% above U.S. |
| Ripton and Worcester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 17.5%±7.9 U.S.: 22% |
12.8%±3.9 U.S.: 22% |
19.1%±3.5Highest U.S.: 22% |
11.8%±6.3Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Ware and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 23.2%±8.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
19.5%±2.5Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.6%±3.4 U.S.: 17.2% |
30.5%±7.1Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Ripton and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 48.1% U.S.: 35.7% |
53%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
24%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
48% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 0.8%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
6.9%±4.7 U.S.: 6.4% |
4.4%±2.2 U.S.: 6.4% |
20.1%±6.3Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $94,500±$12k 17% above U.S. |
$73,833±$18k 9% below U.S. |
$67,475±$15kLowest 16% below U.S. |
$112,917±$15kHighest 40% above U.S. |
| Ripton and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $353,900±$20k 6% above U.S. |
$271,100±$27kLowest 19% below U.S. |
$289,700±$28k 13% below U.S. |
$394,400±$61kHighest 19% above U.S. |
| Ripton and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,023±$136Lowest 28% below U.S. |
$1,043±$109Highest 26% below U.S. |
— |
| Ware and Worcester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,951Highest 91% above U.S. |
$4,421 42% above U.S. |
$4,237Lowest 36% above U.S. |
$4,915 58% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 41.2%±94 U.S.: 51.1% |
25.5%±37Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
64.3%±16.2Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
52.9%±100 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Ware and Ripton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 9.9% U.S.: 12.5% |
5.9%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
11.8%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
8.6% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
85.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
72.3%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
90.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1982Highest 2 yrs newer than U.S. |
1976 4 yrs older than U.S. |
1960Lowest 20 yrs older than U.S. |
1973 7 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 27 min about the U.S. average |
29 minHighest 9% above U.S. |
28 min 8% above U.S. |
24 minLowest 9% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 20.5%±5.6 U.S.: 15.1% |
23.6%±4.8Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
12.3%±3.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
17.2%±8.7 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Worcester and Windham 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 | — | — | #267 of 282 in MA | — |
| School district | — | Washington Central Unified Union School District #92 | Ware | Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 |
| High school in town | — | None in town | Ware Junior/Senior High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 11.1 |
— |
| 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.