Compare towns
Acton vs Malden
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 homeowners (74.9%).
Malden has the most renters (58.7% rent).
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 | Malden |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 24,155Lowest |
65,906Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.6%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+11.5%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 44.5±0.8Highest 11% above MA |
35.8±1Lowest 11% below MA |
| Kids under 18 | 23.2%±2.5Highest MA: 19.4% |
18.2%±1.7Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 17.6%±1.7Highest MA: 17.9% |
13%±1.2Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 79.5%Highest MA: 47.3% |
45.1%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.9%±1.2Lowest MA: 7.9% |
9.1%±1.1Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $158,230±$14kHighest 52% above MA |
$100,606±$6kLowest 3% below MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $807,300±$20kHighest 44% above MA |
$633,500±$26kLowest 13% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,986±$155Lowest 13% above MA |
$2,204±$62Highest 25% above MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $10,000+Highest at least 67% above MA |
$4,995Lowest 17% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 47.7%±11.3Lowest MA: 51.8% |
51.2%±4.6Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Malden 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% |
11.4%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 74.9%Highest MA: 62.5% |
41.3%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1974Highest 10 yrs newer than MA |
1950Lowest 14 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 35 minHighest 19% above MA |
34 minLowest 18% above MA |
| Work from home | 35.9%±4.6Highest MA: 18.6% |
19.8%±2.3Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #13 of 282 in MA | #184 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Acton-Boxborough | Malden |
| High school in town | Acton-Boxborough Regional High | Malden High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 13.5Lowest |
16.1Highest |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet |
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.