What stands out worked out from the figures below

Danvers has the oldest population (median age 45.3).

Shrewsbury has the most people working from home (26.3%).

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	Shrewsbury
People
Population	28,098Lowest	38,876Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+6%Lowest MA: +7.4%	+7.6%Highest MA: +7.4%
Median age	45.3±3Highest 13% above MA	40.6±1.5Lowest about the MA average
Kids under 18	17.2%±2Lowest MA: 19.4%	23.2%±1.9Highest MA: 19.4%
Age 65+	22.6%±2.2Highest MA: 17.9%	15.4%±1.4Lowest MA: 17.9%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	48.4%Lowest MA: 47.3%	65.6%Highest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4%±1.3Lowest MA: 7.9%	4.9%±0.8Highest MA: 7.9%
	Shrewsbury 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±$10kLowest 21% above MA	$139,302±$11kHighest 34% above MA
	Shrewsbury and Danvers are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$644,200±$23kHighest 15% above MA	$592,300±$20kLowest 5% above MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$2,076±$192Lowest 18% above MA	$2,116±$98Highest 20% above MA
	Shrewsbury and Danvers are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$6,654Lowest 11% above MA	$6,923Highest 16% above MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	48.8%±8.6Highest MA: 51.8%	44.2%±6.9Lowest MA: 51.8%
	Danvers and Shrewsbury 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%	3.7%Lowest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	69.2%Lowest MA: 62.5%	72.2%Highest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1963Lowest 1 yr older than MA	1979Highest 15 yrs newer than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	28 minLowest about the MA average	31 minHighest 6% above MA
Work from home	19.3%±3.6Lowest MA: 18.6%	26.3%±2.8Highest MA: 18.6%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#91 of 282 in MA	#30 of 282 in MA
School district	Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School District · Danvers	Shrewsbury
High school in town	Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School	Shrewsbury High School
Students per teacherat that high school	12.8Lowest	14.4Highest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.