Compare towns
Worcester vs Ware 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 grown the fastest since 2010 (+14.1%).
Ware has the most affordable homes ($290k median).
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 | Ware | Shrewsbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 207,055Highest |
10,048Lowest |
38,876 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +14.1%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+2%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+7.6% MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 33.9±0.5Lowest 15% below MA |
43.1±4.7Highest 8% above MA |
40.6±1.5 about the MA average |
| Ware and Shrewsbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19.6%±0.8 MA: 19.4% |
19.1%±3.5Lowest MA: 19.4% |
23.2%±1.9Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 13.3%±0.6Lowest MA: 17.9% |
20.6%±3.4Highest MA: 17.9% |
15.4%±1.4 MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 35.2% MA: 47.3% |
24%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
65.6%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 14.1%±0.8Highest MA: 7.9% |
4.4%±2.2Lowest MA: 7.9% |
4.9%±0.8 MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $70,102±$2k 33% below MA |
$67,475±$15kLowest 35% below MA |
$139,302±$11kHighest 34% above MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $374,400±$7k 33% below MA |
$289,700±$28kLowest 48% below MA |
$592,300±$20kHighest 5% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,487±$38 16% below MA |
$1,043±$109Lowest 41% below MA |
$2,116±$98Highest 20% above MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,733 21% below MA |
$4,237Lowest 29% below MA |
$6,923Highest 16% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 54.2%±2.9 MA: 51.8% |
64.3%±16.2Highest MA: 51.8% |
44.2%±6.9Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Ware 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% |
11.8% MA: 10% |
3.7%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 42.8%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
72.3%Highest MA: 62.5% |
72.2% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1951Lowest 13 yrs older than MA |
1960 4 yrs older than MA |
1979Highest 15 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minLowest 17% below MA |
28 min about the MA average |
31 minHighest 6% above MA |
| Work from home | 11.5%±1Lowest MA: 18.6% |
12.3%±3.8 MA: 18.6% |
26.3%±2.8Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #266 of 282 in MA | #267 of 282 in MA | #30 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Ma Academy for Math and Science · Worcester | Ware | Shrewsbury |
| High school in town | South High Community | Ware Junior/Senior High School | Shrewsbury High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.6Highest |
11.1Lowest |
14.4 |
| 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.