Compare towns
Canton vs Gray vs Wakefield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Canton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+13%).
Gray has the most affordable homes ($364k median).
Wakefield has the most renters (29.3% rent).
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 | Canton | Gray | Wakefield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 24,748 |
8,429Lowest |
27,793Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +13%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+8.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 42.6±2.3 10% above U.S. |
43.4±4.5Highest 12% above U.S. |
42.4±1.7Lowest 9% above U.S. |
| Gray and Canton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 22.9%±2.3Highest U.S.: 22% |
19%±4Lowest U.S.: 22% |
20%±2.2 U.S.: 22% |
| Canton and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 18.8%±2Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
19.3%±4Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
19%±1.9 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Gray and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 67.5%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
44.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
59.7% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.5%±1 U.S.: 6.4% |
5.4%±2.2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.4%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Gray and Canton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $143,381±$9kHighest 78% above U.S. |
$95,236±$8kLowest 18% above U.S. |
$134,306±$14k 66% above U.S. |
| Canton and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $710,600±$27k 114% above U.S. |
$363,700±$20kLowest 9% above U.S. |
$723,500±$24kHighest 117% above U.S. |
| Wakefield and Canton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,315±$178Highest 64% above U.S. |
$1,371±$89Lowest about the U.S. average |
$1,958±$102 39% above U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,560 110% above U.S. |
$3,683Lowest 18% above U.S. |
$7,779Highest 149% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52.4%±9.1 U.S.: 51.1% |
56.4%±24Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
43.7%±7.9Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Gray and Canton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 5.2%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
3.5%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
4.9% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 73.6% U.S.: 65.2% |
82.4%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
70.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980 same as U.S. |
1983Highest 3 yrs newer than U.S. |
1956Lowest 24 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 36 minHighest 36% above U.S. |
29 minLowest 8% above U.S. |
33 min 26% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 25.7%±3.3Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
24.6%±3.1 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Canton and Wakefield 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 | #81 of 282 in MA | #10 of 133 in ME | #179 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Blue Hills Regional Vocational Technical · Canton | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational Technical · Wakefield |
| High school in town | Canton High | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Northeast Metro Regional Vocational |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 13.1Highest |
12.5 |
10.7Lowest |
| 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.