Compare towns
Worcester vs Lawrence vs Springfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Worcester has the most people working from home (11.5%).
Lawrence has the most renters (71.9% rent).
Springfield has the most affordable homes ($245k 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 | Worcester | Lawrence | Springfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 207,055Highest |
88,736Lowest |
154,749 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +14.1% MA: +7.4% |
+16.7%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+1.9%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 33.9±0.5Highest 15% below MA |
32.6±0.9Lowest 19% below MA |
33.7±0.5 16% below MA |
| Worcester and Springfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19.6%±0.8Lowest MA: 19.4% |
26.3%±1.6Highest MA: 19.4% |
24.2%±0.9 MA: 19.4% |
| Lawrence and Springfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 13.3%±0.6Highest MA: 17.9% |
10.5%±0.9Lowest MA: 17.9% |
13.2%±0.7 MA: 17.9% |
| Worcester and Springfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 35.2%Highest MA: 47.3% |
16.8%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
20.5% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 14.1%±0.8Highest MA: 7.9% |
5.4%±0.8Lowest MA: 7.9% |
7.5%±0.5 MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $70,102±$2kHighest 33% below MA |
$60,433±$3k 42% below MA |
$52,656±$2kLowest 49% below MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $374,400±$7k 33% below MA |
$415,200±$23kHighest 26% below MA |
$245,000±$4kLowest 56% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,487±$38 16% below MA |
$1,662±$50Highest 6% below MA |
$1,144±$55Lowest 35% below MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,733Highest 21% below MA |
$3,422Lowest 43% below MA |
$3,695 38% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 54.2%±2.9Lowest MA: 51.8% |
60.6%±3.6Highest MA: 51.8% |
57.7%±3.1 MA: 51.8% |
| Lawrence and Springfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 19.6% MA: 10% |
17.6%Lowest MA: 10% |
25.8%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 42.8% MA: 62.5% |
28.1%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
49.6%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1951 13 yrs older than MA |
1950Lowest 14 yrs older than MA |
1952Highest 12 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minHighest 17% below MA |
23 min 21% below MA |
20 minLowest 31% below MA |
| Work from home | 11.5%±1Highest MA: 18.6% |
6.8%±1.2Lowest MA: 18.6% |
8.4%±0.9 MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #266 of 282 in MA | #278 of 282 in MA | #276 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Ma Academy for Math and Science · Worcester | Lawrence | Springfield |
| High school in town | South High Community | Lawrence High School | Springfield Central High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.6Highest |
13.6 |
12.2Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.