Fitchburg vs Gardner
The prices are essentially identical, so schools break the tie: Fitchburg is ahead — 14th percentile on MCAS against 5th.
Fitchburg is about 8 minutes closer to downtown Boston at peak, and it has MBTA rail while Gardner does not. Over a decade of commuting that gap is worth more than most people price it at.
Choose Fitchburg if you want the stronger schools of the two, or the commute matters most, or you want a train.
All Fitchburg numbers →Choose Gardner if you want the lower price.
All Gardner numbers →Side by side
The better of the two is highlighted on each row. Where a row is not highlighted, the two are close enough that calling a winner would be false precision.
| Fitchburg | Gardner | |
|---|---|---|
| School tier | mixed schoolsT4 | mixed schoolsT4 |
| MCAS percentile | 14th | 5th |
| Niche district rank | — | — |
| 4BR house | $420kT1 | $400kT1 |
| 2BR condo | $240k | $225k |
| Commute to Boston | 80 minT4 | 88 minT4 |
| MBTA rail | Commuter rail · ~91 min to terminal | No MBTA rail |
| Tax rate | $13.29T3 | $13.77T3 |
| Est. tax bill on that 4BR | ≈$5,600 | ≈$5,500 |
| 3BR rent | $2,957/mo | $2,533/mo |
Prices are estimates calibrated to the Zillow Home Value Index and Redfin; tax rates are FY2026 residential rates and the bill applies that rate to the town’s own median 4BR estimate; commutes take the rail leg from the MBTA timetable and still model the drive; rents are HUD FY2026 Small Area Fair Market Rents. School tiers are editorial and shown next to the state’s own MCAS figures. Data last reviewed — see the methodology. This comparison never uses demographics as an input.
