Compare towns
Dedham vs Danvers vs Boston vs Wakefield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Dedham has the most homeowners (73.4%).
Danvers has the shortest commute (28 min average).
Boston has the most renters (64.3% rent).
Wakefield has the most people working from home (24.6%).
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 | Dedham | Danvers | Boston | Wakefield |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 25,237Lowest |
28,098 |
666,442Highest |
27,793 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.6%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+6% MA: +7.4% |
+9.4%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+8.7% MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 44.6±1.6 12% above MA |
45.3±3Highest 13% above MA |
33.3±0.2Lowest 17% below MA |
42.4±1.7 6% above MA |
| Danvers and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 18.6%±1.9 MA: 19.4% |
17.2%±2 MA: 19.4% |
15.1%±0.3Lowest MA: 19.4% |
20%±2.2Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Wakefield and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 21.9%±2 MA: 17.9% |
22.6%±2.2Highest MA: 17.9% |
13%±0.3Lowest MA: 17.9% |
19%±1.9 MA: 17.9% |
| Danvers and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 55% MA: 47.3% |
48.4%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
54.9% MA: 47.3% |
59.7%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±1 MA: 7.9% |
4%±1.3Lowest MA: 7.9% |
15%±0.3Highest MA: 7.9% |
4.4%±0.9 MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $128,955±$10k 24% above MA |
$125,395±$10k 21% above MA |
$97,344±$2kLowest 6% below MA |
$134,306±$14kHighest 29% above MA |
| Wakefield and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $661,800±$16k 18% above MA |
$644,200±$23kLowest 15% above MA |
$731,700±$10kHighest 30% above MA |
$723,500±$24k 29% above MA |
| Boston and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,042±$182 16% above MA |
$2,076±$192 18% above MA |
$2,147±$25Highest 22% above MA |
$1,958±$102Lowest 11% 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 | $7,918Highest 32% above MA |
$6,654 11% above MA |
$4,456Lowest 26% below MA |
$7,779 30% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±10Highest MA: 51.8% |
48.8%±8.6 MA: 51.8% |
51.2%±1.2 MA: 51.8% |
43.7%±7.9Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Dedham and Boston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 5.6% MA: 10% |
4.8%Lowest MA: 10% |
16.6%Highest MA: 10% |
4.9% MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 73.4%Highest MA: 62.5% |
69.2% MA: 62.5% |
35.7%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
70.7% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1956 8 yrs older than MA |
1963Highest 1 yr older than MA |
1947Lowest 17 yrs older than MA |
1956 8 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min about the MA average |
28 minLowest about the MA average |
30 min 4% above MA |
33 minHighest 14% above MA |
| Work from home | 20%±2.7 MA: 18.6% |
19.3%±3.6Lowest MA: 18.6% |
21.3%±0.5 MA: 18.6% |
24.6%±3.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Wakefield and Boston 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 | #119 of 282 in MA | #91 of 282 in MA | #258 of 282 in MA | #179 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 | Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational Technical · Wakefield |
| High school in town | — | Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School | Boston Latin School | Northeast Metro Regional Vocational |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.8 |
18.7Highest |
10.7Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.