Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Westminster grades B overall, 166th among Massachusetts's 282 graded towns. It has 50 miles of trail and 30% conserved land. The median household earns $106K and it is healthier than 82% of U.S. towns. What holds it back is price: homes are expensive, about $538K for a typical one and 5.6 times the Worcester metro’s $96K median household income. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 93% of U.S. towns, with 4 places on the National Register. 30% of the land in Westminster is conserved, above both Massachusetts’ towns (19%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). The biggest place to walk is High Ridge Wildlife Management Area, 1,498 acres with 8.1 miles of trail. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 72% of U.S. towns.
Where Westminster beats most towns.
Census counts: 1,176 in 1790, a low of 1,176 in 1790, 8,213 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1795 and 7 maps from 1887 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Massachusetts), ordered by how far Westminster is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Westminster. Close and well known come first.
Big draw35 mi LakeLake Chaubunagungamaug
30 mi LakeWalden Pond
24 mi MountainMount Monadnock
24 mi LakeQuabbin Reservoir
21 mi Stadium & arenaDCU Center
23 mi MuseumAmerican Heritage MuseumLake Chaubunagungamaug: Bree from Worcester, MA, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Walden Pond: Victorgrigas, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mount Monadnock: Jonwmcinenrey, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Quabbin Reservoir: engineerchange, CC BY 2.0 · DCU Center: Terageorge, CC BY-SA 3.0 · American Heritage Museum: Daderot, CC0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Westminster, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Westminster.
Within Massachusetts it is less healthy than 63% of the 279 graded towns: Massachusetts sets a high bar.
26% of Westminster adults have been diagnosed with depression, where Massachusetts’ towns sit at 24% and U.S. towns at 23%. Westminster beats the Massachusetts average on 7 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 3.6% of Westminster adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance.
| Westminster | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 24% | 23% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 28% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 33% | 36% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 3.6% | 3.7% | 8.1% |
| What stands out | Westminster | MA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 3.6% | 5.2% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.1% | 12.4% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.6% | 8.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Ashburnham-Westminster school district. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Oakmont Regional High School, with 633 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Westminster ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades 2–5 | Grades 2–5 | 375 | B− |
| Oakmont Regional High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 633 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MA on state tests and graduation
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 84% of U.S. communities. Since 1987, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Westminster.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
50 miles of trail in 10 parks and preserves. The trail density in Westminster is 1.4 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Leominster State Forest | 8.2 mi | 1,206 |
| 2. High Ridge Wildlife Management Area | 8.1 mi | 1,498 |
| 3. Wachusett Mountain State Reservation | 4.5 mi | 748 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Most working residents leave Westminster for work: only 9% work in town. 2.3% of residents live below the poverty line in Westminster. Jobs based in Westminster fell to 1,954 in 2023, 380 fewer than in 2013.
| Westminster | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 2.3% | 6% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $106,000 | $120,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 30 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 13% | 18% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Adults 18 to 34 are 11% of residents (24% statewide); people 65 and older are 26% of residents (18% statewide). Westminster’s median age is 48.3 years. Westminster has grown 7.2% since 2020, to 8,807 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Westminster | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 26% | 19% | 18% |
| Median age | 48.3 years | 43.4 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 46% | 47% | 29% |
| Under 18 | 21% | 20% | 22% |
48% women, 52% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3 points. Across Massachusetts, 51.1% of residents are women.
| Westminster | MA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.6% | 10.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 11.7% | 9.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 3.3% | 9.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 8.1% | 14% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.9% | 13% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.9% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.5% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 18.4% | 10.5% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.6% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.9% | 8.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 26.1% | 22.6% | 26% |
| Some college | 11.8% | 14.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11.3% | 7.5% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 23.4% | 25.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 22.5% | 21.8% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Westminster has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 81°, January nights drop to 14° and about 75 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The typical Westminster home is worth about $538,000, up 2.7% in a year, 18% below the Massachusetts typical home.
| Westminster | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,843 a month | $1,682 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 88% | 79% | 73% |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Massachusetts has less reported crime than most states, so among its own towns Westminster sits closer to the middle.
| Westminster | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.2 per 1,000 residents | 1.4 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.6 per 1,000 residents | 4.9 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
2 within 15 miles of the center of Westminster
About 2 of every 100 Westminster residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Massachusetts.
7,277 counted in 2010 and 8,213 in 2020; an estimated 8,807 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 7.2% since 2020, after 12.9% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
4 places in Westminster on the National Register of Historic Places.
9 notable people were born in Westminster.
Town in Massachusetts, United States
Westminster is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. At the 2020 census, the town population was 8,213.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with Westminster.
Hubbardston next door grades lower for schools (C to Westminster’s B) and higher for cost of living (B to D).
| Town | MA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westminster | #166 | B | D | B | B | A− |
| Ashburnham | #154 | B | C− | A− | B | B+ |
| Fitchburg | #264 | D | C | C | C− | C+ |
| Princeton | #18 | A+ | B− | A | B+ | A |
| Gardner | #250 | C− | C+ | B− | C− | C |
| Hubbardston | #117 | B+ | B | A | C | B+ |
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Westminster grades B overall, better than 61% of U.S. towns and #166 of 282 in Massachusetts. It grades A− for health, B for safety and B for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes, by national standards. Massachusetts has less crime than most states, so among its own towns Westminster sits nearer the middle.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
9 notable people were born here, including General Nelson A. Miles and Marcus A. Coolidge.
