Compare towns
Danvers vs Dunstable vs Paxton
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Danvers has the most renters (30.8% rent).
Dunstable has the highest household income ($209k).
Paxton has the most people working from home (25.5%).
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 | Dunstable | Paxton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 28,098Highest |
3,408Lowest |
5,002 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+5.6% MA: +7.4% |
+4.1%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 45.3±3Highest 13% above MA |
41.5±2.4Lowest 4% above MA |
41.8±3.3 4% above MA |
| Danvers and Paxton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 17.2%±2Lowest MA: 19.4% |
22.4%±4.3Highest MA: 19.4% |
17.4%±3.6 MA: 19.4% |
| Dunstable and Paxton 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% |
15%±2.6Lowest MA: 17.9% |
18.4%±3.4 MA: 17.9% |
| Danvers and Paxton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 48.4%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
62.4%Highest MA: 47.3% |
54.7% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4%±1.3Lowest MA: 7.9% |
7.1%±2.5 MA: 7.9% |
15.9%±1.9Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $125,395±$10kLowest 21% above MA |
$208,512±$23kHighest 101% above MA |
$134,083±$8k 29% above MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $644,200±$23k 15% above MA |
$674,000±$30kHighest 20% above MA |
$472,300±$29kLowest 16% below MA |
| Dunstable and Danvers are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,076±$192Highest 18% above MA |
$1,325±$637Lowest 25% below MA |
$1,386±$88 21% below MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,654Lowest 11% above MA |
$9,020Highest 51% above MA |
$7,129 19% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 48.8%±8.6 MA: 51.8% |
60%±77.1Highest MA: 51.8% |
26.2%±15.7Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Dunstable and Danvers are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 4.8%Highest MA: 10% |
0.5%Lowest MA: 10% |
1.4% MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 69.2%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
96.5%Highest MA: 62.5% |
91.8% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1963Lowest 1 yr older than MA |
1987Highest 23 yrs newer than MA |
1967 3 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minLowest about the MA average |
34 minHighest 18% above MA |
31 min 5% above MA |
| Work from home | 19.3%±3.6Lowest MA: 18.6% |
20%±3.9 MA: 18.6% |
25.5%±5.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Paxton and Dunstable 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 | #4 of 282 in MA | #219 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School District · Danvers | Groton-Dunstable | Wachusett |
| High school in town | Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.8 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.