Compare towns
Arlington vs Dedham vs Bolton
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Arlington has the most people working from home (35.9%).
Dedham has the most expensive homes ($662k median).
Bolton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.1%).
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 | Arlington | Dedham | Bolton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 2,598 |
25,237Highest |
1,163Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6% U.S.: +7.4% |
+2.6%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+10.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 37.6±4 3% below U.S. |
44.6±1.6Highest 15% above U.S. |
36.3±1.7Lowest 7% below U.S. |
| Kids under 18 | 20.6%±3.9Highest U.S.: 22% |
18.6%±1.9 U.S.: 22% |
14.9%±4Lowest 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%±3.2 U.S.: 17.2% |
21.9%±2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
6.7%±2.6Lowest 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% U.S.: 35.7% |
55%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
58.4%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.3%±1.7 U.S.: 6.4% |
5.6%±1Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.7%±1.8Lowest 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. |
$111,125±$17k 38% above U.S. |
| Dedham and Bolton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $318,500±$59k 4% below U.S. |
$661,800±$16kHighest 99% above U.S. |
$311,600±$42kLowest 6% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,191±$172Lowest 16% below U.S. |
$2,042±$182Highest 45% above U.S. |
$1,299±$273 8% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,549Lowest 46% above U.S. |
$7,918Highest 154% above U.S. |
$4,826 55% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 77.1%±9.5Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
56.4%±10 U.S.: 51.1% |
28%±30.8Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Below poverty line | 7.5%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
5.6% U.S.: 12.5% |
2.9%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
73.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
81.6% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1966 14 yrs older than U.S. |
1956Lowest 24 yrs older than U.S. |
1986Highest 6 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minLowest 23% below U.S. |
29 minHighest 11% above U.S. |
28 min 5% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 35.9%±10.8Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
20%±2.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
22.9%±8.2 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Arlington and Bolton 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 | #50 of 70 in VT | #119 of 282 in MA | — |
| School district | Arlington School District | Dedham | Mount Mansfield Unified Union School District #401 |
| High school in town | Arlington Memorial | Dedham High | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.6Highest |
10.4Lowest |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.