Compare towns
Boston vs Douglas vs Milton
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).
Douglas has the most affordable homes ($471k median).
Milton has the most people working from home (29.7%).
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 | Douglas | Milton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 666,442Highest |
9,207Lowest |
28,587 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.4%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+6%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+6%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 33.3±0.2Lowest 17% below MA |
44±2.6Highest 10% above MA |
41.1±1.8 about the MA average |
| Douglas and Milton 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% |
21.2%±3.8 MA: 19.4% |
25.3%±2.2Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Milton and Douglas 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% |
15.4%±3.1 MA: 17.9% |
16.1%±1.8Highest MA: 17.9% |
| Milton and Douglas are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 54.9% MA: 47.3% |
41.7%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
71.9%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 15%±0.3Highest MA: 7.9% |
5.4%±2.3Lowest MA: 7.9% |
9.7%±1.1 MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $97,344±$2kLowest 6% below MA |
$152,267±$10k 46% above MA |
$188,529±$15kHighest 81% above MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $731,700±$10k 30% above MA |
$470,600±$29kLowest 16% below MA |
$933,200±$31kHighest 66% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,147±$25Highest 22% above MA |
$1,503±$697 15% below MA |
$1,474±$281Lowest 16% below MA |
| Boston and Douglas 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 |
$6,338 6% above MA |
$9,677Highest 61% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.2%±1.2Highest MA: 51.8% |
33.9%±17.4Lowest MA: 51.8% |
45.7%±20.9 MA: 51.8% |
| Boston and Milton 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% |
4.8% MA: 10% |
4.7%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 35.7%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
83.8% MA: 62.5% |
85.2%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1947 17 yrs older than MA |
1986Highest 22 yrs newer than MA |
1945Lowest 19 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minLowest 4% above MA |
34 minHighest 16% above MA |
31 min 8% above MA |
| Work from home | 21.3%±0.5 MA: 18.6% |
20.9%±4.9Lowest MA: 18.6% |
29.7%±2.9Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #258 of 282 in MA | #177 of 282 in MA | #55 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers: A Horace Mann · Boston | Douglas | — |
| High school in town | Boston Latin School | Douglas High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 18.7Highest |
7.2Lowest |
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| 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.