What stands out worked out from the figures below

Worcester has the most renters (57.2% rent).

Bow has the highest household income ($173k).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Worcester	Bow
People
Population	207,055Highest	8,335Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+14.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	+9.4%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	33.9±0.5Lowest 13% below U.S.	41.5±2Highest 7% above U.S.
Kids under 18	19.6%±0.8Lowest U.S.: 22%	25%±3.6Highest U.S.: 22%
Age 65+	13.3%±0.6Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	17.6%±2.5Highest U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	35.2%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	60.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	14.1%±0.8Highest U.S.: 6.4%	5.6%±1.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$70,102±$2kLowest 13% below U.S.	$172,857±$16kHighest 114% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$374,400±$7kLowest 13% above U.S.	$506,500±$34kHighest 52% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,487±$38Lowest 5% above U.S.	$1,539±$178Highest 9% above U.S.
	Bow and Worcester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,733Lowest 52% above U.S.	$9,584Highest 207% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	54.2%±2.9Highest U.S.: 51.1%	39%±13.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Worcester and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	19.6%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	2.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	42.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	87.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1951Lowest 29 yrs older than U.S.	1985Highest 5 yrs newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	24 minLowest 9% below U.S.	27 minHighest about the U.S. average
Work from home	11.5%±1Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	22.7%±4.7Highest U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#266 of 282 in MA	#26 of 120 in NH
School district	Ma Academy for Math and Science · Worcester	Bow School District
High school in town	South High Community	Bow High School
Students per teacherat that high school	14.6Highest	12.8Lowest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.