Compare towns
Acton vs Harwich
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Acton has the most people working from home (35.9%).
Harwich has the oldest population (median age 58.6).
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 | Acton | Harwich |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 24,155Highest |
13,598Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.6%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+9.8%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 44.5±0.8Lowest 11% above MA |
58.6±1.5Highest 47% above MA |
| Kids under 18 | 23.2%±2.5Highest MA: 19.4% |
11.7%±2.5Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 17.6%±1.7Lowest MA: 17.9% |
35.8%±3.5Highest MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 79.5%Highest MA: 47.3% |
50.6%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.9%±1.2Highest MA: 7.9% |
2.4%±1.2Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $158,230±$14kHighest 52% above MA |
$96,966±$13kLowest 7% below MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $807,300±$20kHighest 44% above MA |
$658,600±$26kLowest 17% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,986±$155Lowest 13% above MA |
$2,017±$738Highest 14% above MA |
| Harwich and Acton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $10,000+Highest at least 67% above MA |
$4,189Lowest 30% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 47.7%±11.3Lowest MA: 51.8% |
56.7%±24.4Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Harwich and Acton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 3.4%Lowest MA: 10% |
4.9%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 74.9%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
84.8%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1974Lowest 10 yrs newer than MA |
1976Highest 12 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 35 minHighest 19% above MA |
25 minLowest 14% below MA |
| Work from home | 35.9%±4.6Highest MA: 18.6% |
17.3%±4.4Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #13 of 282 in MA | #157 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Acton-Boxborough | Monomoy Regional School District · Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical |
| High school in town | Acton-Boxborough Regional High | Monomoy Regional High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 13.5Highest |
11.8Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 6 photos → |
MA 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.