Compare towns
Danvers vs Nelson vs Roxbury
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Danvers has the most expensive homes ($644k median).
Nelson has the most people working from home (31.5%).
Roxbury has the shortest commute (21 min average).
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 | Danvers | Nelson | Roxbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 28,098Highest |
648 |
299Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
-13.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
— |
| Median age | 45.3±3Highest 16% above U.S. |
42.3±11.7Lowest 9% above U.S. |
43.2±17.7 11% above U.S. |
| Danvers and Roxbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 17.2%±2 U.S.: 22% |
27.5%±6.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
14.7%±11.5Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Age 65+ | 22.6%±2.2 U.S.: 17.2% |
24.8%±2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
17.4%±10.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Nelson and Danvers are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 48.4% U.S.: 35.7% |
61.1%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
30.6%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4%±1.3 U.S.: 6.4% |
0.9%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
13.4%±15.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Roxbury and Danvers are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $125,395±$10kHighest 55% above U.S. |
$99,792±$23k 24% above U.S. |
$69,226±$14kLowest 14% below U.S. |
| Danvers and Nelson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $644,200±$23kHighest 94% above U.S. |
$340,900±$49k about the U.S. average |
$323,100±$219kLowest about the U.S. average |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,076±$192Highest 47% above U.S. |
$1,203±$243Lowest 15% below U.S. |
— |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,654Highest 113% above U.S. |
$5,575Lowest 79% above U.S. |
$5,787 86% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 48.8%±8.6Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
40%±68.8 U.S.: 51.1% |
0%±100Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Danvers and Nelson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 4.8%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
1.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
3.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 69.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
90.2% U.S.: 65.2% |
95.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1963Lowest 17 yrs older than U.S. |
1975Highest 5 yrs older than U.S. |
1969 11 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minHighest 8% above U.S. |
24 min 8% below U.S. |
21 minLowest 21% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 19.3%±3.6 U.S.: 15.1% |
31.5%±8Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
0.7%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #91 of 282 in MA | — | — |
| School district | — | Nelson School District | — |
| High school in town | — | None in town | — |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.