What stands out worked out from the figures below

Dedham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+2.6%).

Dalton has the most affordable homes ($296k median).

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	Dedham	Dalton
People
Population	25,237Highest	6,256Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+2.6%Highest MA: +7.4%	-6.3%Lowest MA: +7.4%
Median age	44.6±1.6Lowest 12% above MA	49.7±5.8Highest 24% above MA
	Dalton and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	18.6%±1.9Lowest MA: 19.4%	20.6%±4.7Highest MA: 19.4%
	Dalton and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	21.9%±2Lowest MA: 17.9%	27.9%±5.7Highest MA: 17.9%
	Dalton 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%Highest MA: 47.3%	44.3%Lowest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.6%±1Highest MA: 7.9%	2.3%±1.6Lowest MA: 7.9%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$128,955±$10kHighest 24% above MA	$79,438±$8kLowest 24% below MA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$661,800±$16kHighest 18% above MA	$295,700±$26kLowest 47% below MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$2,042±$182Highest 16% above MA	$872±$70Lowest 51% below MA
Property taxmedian, yearly	$7,918Highest 32% above MA	$4,276Lowest 29% below MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	56.4%±10Highest MA: 51.8%	41.2%±19Lowest MA: 51.8%
	Dedham and Dalton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	5.6%Lowest MA: 10%	7.4%Highest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	73.4%Highest MA: 62.5%	70.7%Lowest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1956Lowest 8 yrs older than MA	1957Highest 7 yrs older than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	29 minHighest about the MA average	22 minLowest 24% below MA
Work from home	20%±2.7Highest MA: 18.6%	12.5%±7.1Lowest MA: 18.6%
	Dedham and Dalton 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	#192 of 282 in MA
School district	Dedham	Central Berkshire
High school in town	Dedham High	Wahconah Regional High
Students per teacherat that high school	10.4Lowest	10.9Highest
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.