What stands out worked out from the figures below

Acworth has the most affordable homes ($273k median).

Dedham has grown the fastest since 2010 (-2%).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Acworth	Dedham
People
Population	851Lowest	1,656Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-4.3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	-2%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	47.3±14.5Highest 22% above U.S.	46.5±2.2Lowest 20% above U.S.
	Acworth and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	25.9%±16.5Highest U.S.: 22%	23.8%±3.6Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Acworth and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	24%±9.8Highest U.S.: 17.2%	18.7%±2.9Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Acworth and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	25.4%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	49.5%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.1%±4.2Highest U.S.: 6.4%	3.3%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Acworth and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$82,917±$5kLowest about the U.S. average	$111,442±$18kHighest 38% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$273,000±$34kLowest 18% below U.S.	$356,400±$33kHighest 7% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,352±$291Lowest 4% below U.S.	$1,422±$607Highest about the U.S. average
	Dedham and Acworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,695Highest 51% above U.S.	$3,942Lowest 26% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	0%±100Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	13%±85.3Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Dedham and Acworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	9.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	9%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	92.5%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	95.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1963Lowest 17 yrs older than U.S.	1983Highest 3 yrs newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	35 minHighest 31% above U.S.	30 minLowest 14% above U.S.
Work from home	7.1%±4.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	9.3%±4.3Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Dedham and Acworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	Fall Mountain Regional School District	Dedham Public Schools
High school in town	None in town	None in town
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	None yet	None yet

U.S. 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.