Compare towns
Worcester vs Williston 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 the most renters (57.2% rent).
Williston has the shortest commute (20 min average).
Shrewsbury has the highest household income ($139k).
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 | Williston | Shrewsbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 207,055Highest |
10,144Lowest |
38,876 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +14.1% U.S.: +7.4% |
+16.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+7.6%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 33.9±0.5Lowest 13% below U.S. |
45.4±4.5Highest 17% above U.S. |
40.6±1.5 4% above U.S. |
| Williston 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 U.S.: 22% |
20.5%±5.2 U.S.: 22% |
23.2%±1.9Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Shrewsbury and Williston 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%±3.5Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
15.4%±1.4 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 35.2%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
54.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
65.6%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 14.1%±0.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.7%±2.7 U.S.: 6.4% |
4.9%±0.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $70,102±$2kLowest 13% below U.S. |
$106,967±$12k 32% above U.S. |
$139,302±$11kHighest 73% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $374,400±$7kLowest 13% above U.S. |
$475,800±$40k 43% above U.S. |
$592,300±$20kHighest 78% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,487±$38Lowest 5% above U.S. |
$1,832±$130 30% above U.S. |
$2,116±$98Highest 50% above U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,733Lowest 52% above U.S. |
$5,592 79% above U.S. |
$6,923Highest 122% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 54.2%±2.9Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
46.9%±17.4 U.S.: 51.1% |
44.2%±6.9Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Worcester and Williston 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% |
4.3% U.S.: 12.5% |
3.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 42.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
75.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
72.2% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1951Lowest 29 yrs older than U.S. |
1993Highest 13 yrs newer than U.S. |
1979 1 yr older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min 9% below U.S. |
20 minLowest 25% below U.S. |
31 minHighest 17% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 11.5%±1Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
22.3%±7.6 U.S.: 15.1% |
26.3%±2.8Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Shrewsbury and Williston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #266 of 282 in MA | #11 of 70 in VT | #30 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Ma Academy for Math and Science · Worcester | Champlain Valley Unified Union School District #56 | 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 |
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.