Compare towns
Amesbury vs Danvers vs Peabody
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Amesbury has the most affordable homes ($519k median).
Danvers has the highest household income ($125k).
Peabody has the shortest commute (26 min average).
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 | Amesbury | Danvers | Peabody |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 17,403Lowest |
28,098 |
54,695Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +6%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+6.3%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 43.7±1.7Lowest 9% above MA |
45.3±3Highest 13% above MA |
45.3±2.4Highest 13% above MA |
| Kids under 18 | 20%±2.4Highest MA: 19.4% |
17.2%±2Lowest MA: 19.4% |
18.7%±1.8 MA: 19.4% |
| Amesbury and Peabody are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 18.2%±2.1Lowest MA: 17.9% |
22.6%±2.2 MA: 17.9% |
24.3%±1.7Highest MA: 17.9% |
| Peabody and Danvers are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.8% MA: 47.3% |
48.4%Highest MA: 47.3% |
35%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±1.3 MA: 7.9% |
4%±1.3Lowest MA: 7.9% |
4.4%±0.8Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Peabody and Amesbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $103,554±$12k about the MA average |
$125,395±$10kHighest 21% above MA |
$96,657±$4kLowest 7% below MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $519,300±$32kLowest 8% below MA |
$644,200±$23kHighest 15% above MA |
$596,200±$12k 6% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,683±$115Lowest 4% below MA |
$2,076±$192Highest 18% above MA |
$1,950±$99 11% above MA |
| Danvers and Peabody are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $7,360Highest 23% above MA |
$6,654 11% above MA |
$5,065Lowest 15% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 66.7%±10.7Highest MA: 51.8% |
48.8%±8.6Lowest MA: 51.8% |
58.3%±5.9 MA: 51.8% |
| Amesbury and Peabody are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.1% MA: 10% |
4.8%Lowest MA: 10% |
7.7%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 68.6% MA: 62.5% |
69.2%Highest MA: 62.5% |
65.6%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1969Highest 5 yrs newer than MA |
1963Lowest 1 yr older than MA |
1966 2 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest about the MA average |
28 min about the MA average |
26 minLowest 11% below MA |
| Work from home | 17.4%±2.8 MA: 18.6% |
19.3%±3.6Highest MA: 18.6% |
10.3%±1.6Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Danvers and Amesbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #151 of 282 in MA | #91 of 282 in MA | #228 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Amesbury | Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School District · Danvers | Peabody |
| High school in town | Amesbury High | Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School | Peabody Veterans Memorial High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.9 |
12.8Highest |
10.3Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 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.