Compare towns
Danvers vs West Newbury vs Peabody
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 oldest housing (typical home built 1963).
West Newbury has the highest household income ($180k).
Peabody has the shortest commute (26 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 | West Newbury | Peabody |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 28,098 |
4,591Lowest |
54,695Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+6.3%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+6.3%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 45.3±3Lowest 13% above MA |
49.5±3Highest 24% above MA |
45.3±2.4Lowest 13% above MA |
| West Newbury and Danvers 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% |
19.6%±3.9Highest MA: 19.4% |
18.7%±1.8 MA: 19.4% |
| West Newbury and Peabody are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 22.6%±2.2 MA: 17.9% |
21.3%±4.1Lowest MA: 17.9% |
24.3%±1.7Highest MA: 17.9% |
| Peabody 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% MA: 47.3% |
64.8%Highest MA: 47.3% |
35%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4%±1.3 MA: 7.9% |
3.9%±1.8Lowest MA: 7.9% |
4.4%±0.8Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Peabody 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±$10k 21% above MA |
$179,500±$27kHighest 73% above MA |
$96,657±$4kLowest 7% below MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $644,200±$23k 15% above MA |
$808,200±$47kHighest 44% above MA |
$596,200±$12kLowest 6% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,076±$192Highest 18% above MA |
$1,675±$674Lowest 5% below MA |
$1,950±$99 11% above MA |
| Danvers and Peabody are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,654 11% above MA |
$9,240Highest 54% above MA |
$5,065Lowest 15% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 48.8%±8.6Lowest MA: 51.8% |
80.4%±100Highest MA: 51.8% |
58.3%±5.9 MA: 51.8% |
| West Newbury and Peabody are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 4.8% MA: 10% |
1.6%Lowest MA: 10% |
7.7%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 69.2% MA: 62.5% |
95.8%Highest MA: 62.5% |
65.6%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1963Lowest 1 yr older than MA |
1983Highest 19 yrs newer than MA |
1966 2 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min about the MA average |
31 minHighest 8% above MA |
26 minLowest 11% below MA |
| Work from home | 19.3%±3.6 MA: 18.6% |
24.5%±6.2Highest MA: 18.6% |
10.3%±1.6Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| West Newbury 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 | #86 of 282 in MA | #228 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School District · Danvers | Pentucket | Peabody |
| High school in town | Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School | Pentucket Regional Sr High | Peabody Veterans Memorial High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.8Highest |
11.6 |
10.3Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.