Compare towns
Worcester vs Raynham vs Shrewsbury
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 renters (57.2% rent).
Raynham has the most homeowners (78.1%).
Shrewsbury has the most people working from home (26.3%).
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 | Raynham | Shrewsbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 207,055Highest |
15,505Lowest |
38,876 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +14.1%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+13.1% MA: +7.4% |
+7.6%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 33.9±0.5Lowest 15% below MA |
42.9±1.5Highest 7% above MA |
40.6±1.5 about the MA average |
| Raynham and Shrewsbury 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% |
20.4%±2.8 MA: 19.4% |
23.2%±1.9Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Shrewsbury and Raynham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 13.3%±0.6Lowest MA: 17.9% |
19.8%±2.3Highest MA: 17.9% |
15.4%±1.4 MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 35.2%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
39.7% MA: 47.3% |
65.6%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 14.1%±0.8Highest MA: 7.9% |
3.9%±1Lowest MA: 7.9% |
4.9%±0.8 MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $70,102±$2kLowest 33% below MA |
$124,012±$16k 19% above MA |
$139,302±$11kHighest 34% above MA |
| Shrewsbury and Raynham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $374,400±$7kLowest 33% below MA |
$524,400±$29k 7% below MA |
$592,300±$20kHighest 5% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,487±$38Lowest 16% below MA |
$1,749±$74 about the MA average |
$2,116±$98Highest 20% above MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,733Lowest 21% below MA |
$6,752 13% above MA |
$6,923Highest 16% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 54.2%±2.9 MA: 51.8% |
67.1%±13.4Highest MA: 51.8% |
44.2%±6.9Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Raynham and Worcester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 19.6%Highest MA: 10% |
7.7% MA: 10% |
3.7%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 42.8%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
78.1%Highest MA: 62.5% |
72.2% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1951Lowest 13 yrs older than MA |
1986Highest 22 yrs newer than MA |
1979 15 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minLowest 17% below MA |
36 minHighest 25% above MA |
31 min 6% above MA |
| Work from home | 11.5%±1Lowest MA: 18.6% |
11.8%±3.4 MA: 18.6% |
26.3%±2.8Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #266 of 282 in MA | #190 of 282 in MA | #30 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Ma Academy for Math and Science · Worcester | Bridgewater-Raynham | Shrewsbury |
| High school in town | South High Community | None in town | Shrewsbury High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.6Highest |
— | 14.4Lowest |
| 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.