Compare towns
Boston vs Dedham vs Wakefield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Boston has the most renters (64.3% rent).
Dedham has the most affordable homes ($662k median).
Wakefield has the most people working from home (24.6%).
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 | Boston | Dedham | Wakefield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 666,442Highest |
25,237Lowest |
27,793 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.4%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+2.6%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+8.7% MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 33.3±0.2Lowest 17% below MA |
44.6±1.6Highest 12% above MA |
42.4±1.7 6% above MA |
| Dedham and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 15.1%±0.3Lowest MA: 19.4% |
18.6%±1.9 MA: 19.4% |
20%±2.2Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Wakefield and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 13%±0.3Lowest MA: 17.9% |
21.9%±2Highest MA: 17.9% |
19%±1.9 MA: 17.9% |
| Dedham and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 54.9%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
55% MA: 47.3% |
59.7%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 15%±0.3Highest MA: 7.9% |
5.6%±1 MA: 7.9% |
4.4%±0.9Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $97,344±$2kLowest 6% below MA |
$128,955±$10k 24% above MA |
$134,306±$14kHighest 29% above MA |
| Wakefield and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $731,700±$10kHighest 30% above MA |
$661,800±$16kLowest 18% above MA |
$723,500±$24k 29% above MA |
| Boston and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,147±$25Highest 22% above MA |
$2,042±$182 16% above MA |
$1,958±$102Lowest 11% above MA |
| Boston and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,456Lowest 26% below MA |
$7,918Highest 32% above MA |
$7,779 30% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.2%±1.2 MA: 51.8% |
56.4%±10Highest MA: 51.8% |
43.7%±7.9Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Dedham and Boston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 16.6%Highest MA: 10% |
5.6% MA: 10% |
4.9%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 35.7%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
73.4%Highest MA: 62.5% |
70.7% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1947Lowest 17 yrs older than MA |
1956Highest 8 yrs older than MA |
1956Highest 8 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 min 4% above MA |
29 minLowest about the MA average |
33 minHighest 14% above MA |
| Work from home | 21.3%±0.5 MA: 18.6% |
20%±2.7Lowest MA: 18.6% |
24.6%±3.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Wakefield and Boston 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 | #258 of 282 in MA | #119 of 282 in MA | #179 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers: A Horace Mann · Boston | Dedham | Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational Technical · Wakefield |
| High school in town | Boston Latin School | Dedham High | Northeast Metro Regional Vocational |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 18.7Highest |
10.4Lowest |
10.7 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.