Compare towns
Worcester vs Sutton vs Shrewsbury
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 grown the fastest since 2010 (+14.1%).
Sutton has the most homeowners (95.7%).
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 | Sutton | Shrewsbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 207,055Highest |
2,239Lowest |
38,876 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +14.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+7.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
+7.6%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 33.9±0.5Lowest 13% below U.S. |
48.1±4.1Highest 24% above U.S. |
40.6±1.5 4% above U.S. |
| Kids under 18 | 19.6%±0.8Lowest U.S.: 22% |
20.5%±3.8 U.S.: 22% |
23.2%±1.9Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Shrewsbury and Sutton 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% |
21.6%±5.9Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
15.4%±1.4 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Sutton and Shrewsbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 35.2%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
44.3% U.S.: 35.7% |
65.6%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 14.1%±0.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.9%±3.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.9%±0.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $70,102±$2kLowest 13% below U.S. |
$130,313±$31k 61% above U.S. |
$139,302±$11kHighest 73% above U.S. |
| Shrewsbury and Sutton 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. |
$362,600±$16kLowest 9% above U.S. |
$592,300±$20kHighest 78% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,487±$38Lowest 5% above U.S. |
$1,656±$614 17% above U.S. |
$2,116±$98Highest 50% above U.S. |
| Shrewsbury and Sutton 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. |
$7,652Highest 145% above U.S. |
$6,923 122% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 54.2%±2.9Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
27.6%±47.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
44.2%±6.9 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Below poverty line | 19.6%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
4.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
3.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 42.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
95.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
72.2% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1951Lowest 29 yrs older than U.S. |
1971 9 yrs older than U.S. |
1979Highest 1 yr older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minLowest 9% below U.S. |
29 min 11% above U.S. |
31 minHighest 17% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 11.5%±1Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
14.8%±5.6 U.S.: 15.1% |
26.3%±2.8Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #266 of 282 in MA | — | #30 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Ma Academy for Math and Science · Worcester | Kearsarge Regional School District | Shrewsbury |
| High school in town | South High Community | Kearsarge Regional High School | Shrewsbury High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.6Highest |
10.4Lowest |
14.4 |
| 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.