What stands out worked out from the figures below

Danvers has the most homeowners (69.2%).

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

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	Danvers	Boston
People
Population	28,098Lowest	666,442Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+6%Lowest MA: +7.4%	+9.4%Highest MA: +7.4%
Median age	45.3±3Highest 13% above MA	33.3±0.2Lowest 17% below MA
Kids under 18	17.2%±2Highest MA: 19.4%	15.1%±0.3Lowest MA: 19.4%
	Danvers and Boston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	22.6%±2.2Highest MA: 17.9%	13%±0.3Lowest MA: 17.9%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	48.4%Lowest MA: 47.3%	54.9%Highest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4%±1.3Lowest MA: 7.9%	15%±0.3Highest MA: 7.9%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$125,395±$10kHighest 21% above MA	$97,344±$2kLowest 6% below MA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$644,200±$23kLowest 15% above MA	$731,700±$10kHighest 30% above MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$2,076±$192Lowest 18% above MA	$2,147±$25Highest 22% above MA
	Boston and Danvers are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$6,654Highest 11% above MA	$4,456Lowest 26% below MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	48.8%±8.6Lowest MA: 51.8%	51.2%±1.2Highest MA: 51.8%
	Boston and Danvers are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	4.8%Lowest MA: 10%	16.6%Highest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	69.2%Highest MA: 62.5%	35.7%Lowest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1963Highest 1 yr older than MA	1947Lowest 17 yrs older than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	28 minLowest about the MA average	30 minHighest 4% above MA
Work from home	19.3%±3.6Lowest MA: 18.6%	21.3%±0.5Highest MA: 18.6%
	Boston and Danvers 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	#91 of 282 in MA	#258 of 282 in MA
School district	—	Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers: A Horace Mann · Boston
High school in town	—	Boston Latin School
Students per teacherat that high school	—	18.7
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.