What stands out worked out from the figures below

Boston has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.4%).

Fairhaven has the most homeowners (74.4%).

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	Boston	Fairhaven
People
Population	666,442Highest	15,903Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+9.4%Highest MA: +7.4%	+0.3%Lowest MA: +7.4%
Median age	33.3±0.2Lowest 17% below MA	48.5±3.4Highest 21% above MA
Kids under 18	15.1%±0.3Lowest MA: 19.4%	16.9%±2.7Highest MA: 19.4%
	Fairhaven and Boston 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%	24.9%±2.9Highest MA: 17.9%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	54.9%Highest MA: 47.3%	32.5%Lowest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	15%±0.3Highest MA: 7.9%	3.3%±1Lowest MA: 7.9%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$97,344±$2kHighest 6% below MA	$95,965±$19kLowest 8% below MA
	Boston and Fairhaven 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	$446,700±$19kLowest 21% below MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$2,147±$25Highest 22% above MA	$1,118±$79Lowest 37% below MA
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,456Highest 26% below MA	$3,566Lowest 40% below MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	51.2%±1.2Highest MA: 51.8%	51.1%±14Lowest MA: 51.8%
	Boston and Fairhaven 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%	8.3%Lowest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	35.7%Lowest MA: 62.5%	74.4%Highest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1947Lowest 17 yrs older than MA	1952Highest 12 yrs older than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	30 minHighest 4% above MA	29 minLowest about the MA average
Work from home	21.3%±0.5Highest MA: 18.6%	11.4%±3.3Lowest MA: 18.6%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#258 of 282 in MA	#126 of 282 in MA
School district	Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers: A Horace Mann · Boston	Fairhaven
High school in town	Boston Latin School	Fairhaven High
Students per teacherat that high school	18.7Highest	11.4Lowest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.