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	Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School District · Danvers	Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers: A Horace Mann · Boston
High school in town	Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School	Boston Latin School
Students per teacherat that high school	12.8Lowest	18.7Highest
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.