Compare towns
Worcester vs Windham vs Lowell vs Springfield
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).
Windham has the most people working from home (20.5%).
Lowell has the most expensive homes ($429k median).
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 | Windham | Lowell | Springfield |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 207,055Highest |
594Lowest |
118,368 |
154,749 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +14.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
— | +8.5% U.S.: +7.4% |
+1.9%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 33.9±0.5 13% below U.S. |
44.2±7.4Highest 14% above U.S. |
35.6±0.8 8% below U.S. |
33.7±0.5Lowest 13% below U.S. |
| Kids under 18 | 19.6%±0.8 U.S.: 22% |
17.5%±7.9Lowest U.S.: 22% |
21.7%±1.3 U.S.: 22% |
24.2%±0.9Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Age 65+ | 13.3%±0.6 U.S.: 17.2% |
23.2%±8.1Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
12.6%±0.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
13.2%±0.7 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 35.2% U.S.: 35.7% |
48.1%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
30% U.S.: 35.7% |
20.5%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 14.1%±0.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
0.8%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
9.7%±0.6 U.S.: 6.4% |
7.5%±0.5 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $70,102±$2k 13% below U.S. |
$94,500±$12kHighest 17% above U.S. |
$78,658±$4k about the U.S. average |
$52,656±$2kLowest 35% below U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $374,400±$7k 13% above U.S. |
$353,900±$20k 6% above U.S. |
$429,200±$11kHighest 29% above U.S. |
$245,000±$4kLowest 26% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,487±$38 5% above U.S. |
— | $1,625±$40Highest 15% above U.S. |
$1,144±$55Lowest 19% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,733 52% above U.S. |
$5,951Highest 91% above U.S. |
$4,499 44% above U.S. |
$3,695Lowest 18% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 54.2%±2.9 U.S.: 51.1% |
41.2%±94Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
52.4%±3.8 U.S.: 51.1% |
57.7%±3.1Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Springfield and Worcester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 19.6% U.S.: 12.5% |
9.9%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
16.9% U.S.: 12.5% |
25.8%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 42.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
82.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
43.2% U.S.: 65.2% |
49.6% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1951Lowest 29 yrs older than U.S. |
1982Highest 2 yrs newer than U.S. |
1953 27 yrs older than U.S. |
1952 28 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min 9% below U.S. |
27 min about the U.S. average |
28 minHighest 6% above U.S. |
20 minLowest 23% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 11.5%±1 U.S.: 15.1% |
20.5%±5.6Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
10.6%±1.3 U.S.: 15.1% |
8.4%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #266 of 282 in MA | — | #255 of 282 in MA | #276 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Ma Academy for Math and Science · Worcester | — | Lowell | Springfield |
| High school in town | South High Community | — | Lowell High | Springfield Central High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.6 |
— | 14.8Highest |
12.2Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.