Compare towns
Worcester vs Brooklyn vs West Boylston
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 renters (57.2% rent).
Brooklyn has the most affordable homes ($315k median).
West Boylston has the most people working from home (17.7%).
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 | Worcester | Brooklyn | West Boylston |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 207,055Highest |
8,517 |
7,782Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +14.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
— | +2.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 33.9±0.5Lowest 13% below U.S. |
45.6±2.5Highest 17% above U.S. |
45.5±2.7 17% above U.S. |
| Brooklyn and West Boylston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19.6%±0.8 U.S.: 22% |
20.6%±4.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
16.3%±3.6Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Brooklyn and Worcester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 13.3%±0.6Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
17.6%±2.9 U.S.: 17.2% |
25.8%±3.7Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 35.2% U.S.: 35.7% |
23.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
41.8%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 14.1%±0.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.4%±1.7 U.S.: 6.4% |
2.8%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $70,102±$2kLowest 13% below U.S. |
$96,207±$15k 19% above U.S. |
$104,551±$12kHighest 30% above U.S. |
| West Boylston and Brooklyn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $374,400±$7k 13% above U.S. |
$315,200±$28kLowest 5% below U.S. |
$440,000±$24kHighest 32% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,487±$38Highest 5% above U.S. |
$1,125±$98Lowest 20% below U.S. |
$1,261±$154 11% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,733 52% above U.S. |
$4,538Lowest 45% above U.S. |
$6,115Highest 96% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 54.2%±2.9Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
38.5%±19.3 U.S.: 51.1% |
29.9%±12.8Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Worcester and Brooklyn 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% |
2.3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
6.6% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 42.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
81.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
77.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1951Lowest 29 yrs older than U.S. |
1978Highest 2 yrs older than U.S. |
1967 13 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minLowest 9% below U.S. |
27 minHighest about the U.S. average |
25 min 6% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 11.5%±1 U.S.: 15.1% |
10.7%±5.4Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
17.7%±4.5Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #266 of 282 in MA | #113 of 149 in CT | #97 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Ma Academy for Math and Science · Worcester | Brooklyn School District | West Boylston |
| High school in town | South High Community | None in town | West Boylston Junior/Senior High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.6Highest |
— | 10.6Lowest |
| 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.