CitytisticsShortlist

Bryn Mawr, PA vs Williamstown, MA

Bryn Mawr

Pennsylvania

vs

Williamstown

Massachusetts

Across 37 directional measures we can compare, Bryn Mawr leads on 7 and Williamstown on 30. Counting measures is not an overall verdict: their importance depends on your priorities. Median rent is 53% higher in Bryn Mawr, while median household income is higher in Williamstown.

Median gross rent
$2,173$1,424
Bryn Mawr is 53% higher
Median household income
$92,961$97,917
Bryn Mawr is 5% lower
Median home value
$453,400$439,300
Bryn Mawr is 3% higher

The Citytistics read

  • After the median rent, with other prices set to the US average, the median household has about $66,600 a year left in Bryn Mawr and $81,200 in Williamstown. Money goes further in Williamstown, by about $14,600 a year.
  • A household earning Bryn Mawr's median of $92,961 would need about $83,500 in Williamstown to keep the same money after rent and local prices.
  • Between the 2019 and 2024 surveys, rent outran pay by 2.5 points a year in Bryn Mawr, and rent outran pay by 4.2 points a year in Williamstown.

How these are calculated

MassachusettsPennsylvaniaWilliamstown, MABryn Mawr, PABryn MawrWilliamstownBryn MawrWilliamstown

Which fits you?

Both start on the Citytistics Index (CTX). Move the sliders to weigh what matters to you and the score becomes your own mix.

Your weights

Top 2 of 2 matching places. Places in the top 1% show their national rank.

#PlaceCTXAffordabilityEconomyEducationSafetyCommuteAmenitiesGrowth
01Williamstown, MAComposite 75.6 / 100
#62
535497899986n/a
02Bryn Mawr, PAComposite 46.9 / 100
42
184090n/a4966n/a

CTX is the Citytistics Index: better than that share of the places we rate. It tops out at 99, so the top 1% show their national rank (#1 is best). Change any weight to rank on your own mix. How the CTX is built

Every measure

The dots show where each place sits among the 6,645 places we track. The bar is the median. A small dot after a value marks the better one.

MeasureBryn MawrWilliamstownAmong all places
Cost of living
Median gross rent1$2,173$1,424
Rent to income128.1%17.5%
Property tax rate11.1%1.1%
Home price to income14.9x4.5x
Prices vs US average2102.595.1
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3$1,860$1,763
HUD area median income4$122,700n/a
Housing
Property tax paid (median)1$5,205$4,993
Median home value1$453,400$439,300
Home prices, 1-year change54.7%1.1%
Home prices, 5-year change552.9%58.6%
Homeownership146.1%61.5%
Renters paying 30%+156.9%53.1%
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,381$2,373
Vacant homes112.1%12.5%
Median year built119531955
Jobs and income
Median household income1$92,961$97,917
Income per person1$52,338$49,390
Unemployment17.3%5.4%
Average annual pay6$74,852$67,487
Pay growth, 1 year62.3%8.4%
Jobs6219,22257,806
Poverty rate122.8%18.0%
Mean commute125 min12 min
Works from home122.7%22.4%
Commutes by transit17.3%1.5%
People
Population15,8805,070
Median age123.121.9
Bachelor's or higher161.8%75.4%
High school or higher197.8%98.6%
Household size12.12.0
Born abroad19.2%11.4%
No health insurance12.0%1.7%
Homes with broadband196.3%91.0%
Moving
Moved here in the past year119.5%20.3%
Moved from another state111.8%10.6%
Net movers per 1,000 people7-4.1-0.4
Income of households moving in7$97,243$100,672
Income of households moving out7$91,137$84,600
Local life
Restaurants and bars per 10k819.430.1
Shops per 10k826.844.4
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k84.08.7
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k819.718.0
Child care centers per 10k83.51.9
Parks per 10k917.027.6
Playgrounds per 10k910.215.8
Grocery stores per 10k91.73.9
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k930.645.4
Libraries per 10k913.67.9
Named paths and bike trails90.06.7
Transit stops per sq mi914.60.3
Nearest National Park Service site108.429.8
National Park Service sites within 60 miles1082
National Register listings1177
Founded or incorporated1216811749
Safety
Violent crime per 100k13n/a22
Property crime per 100k13n/a569
Schools
Public schools1422
Public school students141,009946
Students per teacher1412.811.0
Climate
July average high1587°F80°F
January average low1525°F13°F
Average temperature1555°F46°F
Annual precipitation1547.0 in47.9 in
Hazards and air
Natural hazard risk1692.984.0
Hurricane risk1688.183.6
Tornado risk1692.548.8
Wildfire risk1627.725.2
Heat wave risk1697.634.9
Median air quality index174438
Good air days1765.2%78.1%

Data bundle checked 2026-11-14; individual source vintages vary. Rent needed at the 30% line: Bryn Mawr $86,920, Williamstown $56,960 a year.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Wikidata · Wikimedia Foundation (CC0) · Retrieved 2026-11
  13. Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
  14. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  15. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  16. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  17. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology.

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