What stands out worked out from the figures below

Arlington has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6%).

Dedham has the most expensive homes ($662k median).

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	Arlington	Dedham
People
Population	2,598Lowest	25,237Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+6%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	+2.6%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	37.6±4Lowest 3% below U.S.	44.6±1.6Highest 15% above U.S.
Kids under 18	20.6%±3.9Highest U.S.: 22%	18.6%±1.9Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Arlington and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	20.7%±3.2Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	21.9%±2Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Dedham and Arlington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	55.9%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	55%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.3%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	5.6%±1Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Dedham and Arlington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$102,308±$11kLowest 27% above U.S.	$128,955±$10kHighest 60% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$318,500±$59kLowest 4% below U.S.	$661,800±$16kHighest 99% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,191±$172Lowest 16% below U.S.	$2,042±$182Highest 45% above U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,549Lowest 46% above U.S.	$7,918Highest 154% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	77.1%±9.5Highest U.S.: 51.1%	56.4%±10Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
Below poverty line	7.5%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	5.6%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	84%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	73.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1966Highest 14 yrs older than U.S.	1956Lowest 24 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	20 minLowest 23% below U.S.	29 minHighest 11% above U.S.
Work from home	35.9%±10.8Highest U.S.: 15.1%	20%±2.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#50 of 70 in VT	#119 of 282 in MA
School district	Arlington School District	Dedham
High school in town	Arlington Memorial	Dedham High
Students per teacherat that high school	10.6Highest	10.4Lowest
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.