Athol, Massachusetts

Community in Worcester County · population 8,486 (2020 Census)

Median home: $248,700
Household income: $67,394
Jan low / Jul high: 14° / 85°
Snow a year: 52 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 7
Median age: 36.8

Athol is a community of 8,486 people in Worcester County, Massachusetts. The median home is worth $248,700, below the typical Massachusetts town ($510,150). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 96% of Massachusetts towns.

Athol in our rankings:

How Athol ranks

Percentile among Massachusetts towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Massachusetts towns.

The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Athol is worth $248,700, below the typical Massachusetts town ($510,150). Homes cost about 3.7 times the median household income of $67,394, which is more affordable than 84% of Massachusetts towns. Median rent is $1,120 a month. 63.7% of households own their home.

Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Massachusetts towns with 500+ people.

Housing	Athol	Typical Massachusetts town
Median home value	$248,700	$510,150
Median rent	$1,120	$1,561
Median household income	$67,394	$108,622
Home value ÷ income	3.7×	4.5×
Homeownership	63.7%	80.7%
Median year built	1940	1968
Seasonal / vacation homes	0.8%	—

Who lives in Athol

People	Athol	Typical Massachusetts town
Median age	36.8	44.8
Age 65 and over	15.0%	20.7%
Under 18	25.2%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	21.9%	45.7%
Below the poverty line	21.0%	6.3%
Veterans	6.3%	—
Born outside the U.S.	3.2%	—
Work from home	9.7%	17.7%
Average commute	26.3 min	30.1 min
Homes with broadband	93.3%	93.9%

Weather in Athol

July highs average 85.1°F and January lows 14.0°F. About 47.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 52.2 inches of snow (typical Massachusetts town: 49.5 in). Expect about 18 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 159 nights at or below freezing.

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Tully Lake station (3.2 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Athol since 1950, compared with 8 for the typical Massachusetts town. 3 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on June 9, 1953 about 9.1 miles from the town center and killed 90. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 90 deaths and 1,229 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on July 11, 2006.

NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 18 times; the largest was 2.25 inches on May 22, 2013.

Severe weather in Worcester County since 1996

NOAA Storm Events Database, Worcester County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 6 deaths recorded.

Worcester County has been included in 32 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, tornado.

Declared	Incident	Declaration
May 15, 2024	Flood	DR-4780: Severe Storms And Flooding
September 15, 2023	Hurricane	EM-3599: Hurricane Lee
March 27, 2020	Biological	DR-4496: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020	Biological	EM-3438: Covid-19
July 19, 2018	Snowstorm	DR-4379: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm

Jobs and pay in Worcester County

Worcester County had 351,476 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $71,641 a year. Unemployment was 3.5% in 2023; in Athol itself the ACS puts it at 8.6%.

BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.

Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Athol

Athol, MA
1.2 mi · 11,945 people · home $268,100
Orange, MA
3.3 mi · 7,569 people · home $245,900
Orange, MA
3.3 mi · 3,636 people · home $231,400
Templeton, MA
8.1 mi · 8,149 people · home $358,500
Winchendon, MA
10.3 mi · 10,364 people · home $323,800
Winchendon, MA
11.3 mi · 4,160 people · home $276,300
Gardner, MA
12.3 mi · 21,287 people · home $301,600
Northfield, MA
12.8 mi · 2,866 people · home $375,800

Athol questions

Is Athol, Massachusetts a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Athol scores better for retirees than 9% of Massachusetts towns and quieter than 40%. 15.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 36.8).

How much does a house cost in Athol?

The median owner-occupied home in Athol is valued at $248,700 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $67,394, so homes cost about 3.7 times income. Median rent is $1,120 a month.

What is the weather like in Athol?

July highs average 85.1°F and January lows 14.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 47.4 inches of precipitation a year and 52.2 inches of snow.

Does Athol get tornadoes?

7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Athol since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on June 9, 1953. The typical Massachusetts town has had 8.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Athol's Census boundary (GEOID 2502515). Comparisons use the median of Massachusetts towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center.

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)

Data snapshot 2026-11-12.