Compare towns
Dedham vs Norfolk
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 renters (26.6% rent).
Norfolk has the most people working from home (32.6%).
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 | Norfolk |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 25,237Highest |
11,673Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.6%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+3.9%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 44.6±1.6Highest 12% above MA |
41.6±1.3Lowest 4% above MA |
| Kids under 18 | 18.6%±1.9Lowest MA: 19.4% |
24.4%±3.8Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 21.9%±2Highest MA: 17.9% |
13.8%±2Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 55%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
61.6%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±1Highest MA: 7.9% |
3.2%±1.2Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $128,955±$10kLowest 24% above MA |
$200,720±$22kHighest 93% above MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $661,800±$16kLowest 18% above MA |
$725,200±$34kHighest 29% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,042±$182Highest 16% above MA |
$2,019±$598Lowest 15% above MA |
| Dedham and Norfolk are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $7,918Lowest 32% above MA |
$9,651Highest 61% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±10Lowest MA: 51.8% |
57.1%±16Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Norfolk and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 5.6%Highest MA: 10% |
2.2%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 73.4%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
94.9%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1956Lowest 8 yrs older than MA |
1984Highest 20 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minLowest about the MA average |
36 minHighest 24% above MA |
| Work from home | 20%±2.7Lowest MA: 18.6% |
32.6%±5.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #119 of 282 in MA | #123 of 282 in MA |
| School district | — | King Philip · Millis |
| High school in town | — | None in town |
| 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.