What stands out worked out from the figures below

Dedham has the most affordable homes ($662k median).

Lexington has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.7%).

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	Lexington
People
Population	25,237Lowest	34,295Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+2.6%Lowest MA: +7.4%	+9.7%Highest MA: +7.4%
Median age	44.6±1.6Lowest 12% above MA	47.3±0.8Highest 18% above MA
Kids under 18	18.6%±1.9Lowest MA: 19.4%	25.5%±1.8Highest MA: 19.4%
Age 65+	21.9%±2Highest MA: 17.9%	21.7%±1.8Lowest MA: 17.9%
	Dedham and Lexington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	55%Lowest MA: 47.3%	84.3%Highest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.6%±1Highest MA: 7.9%	3.8%±0.7Lowest MA: 7.9%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$128,955±$10kLowest 24% above MA	$238,444±$18kHighest 129% above MA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$661,800±$16kLowest 18% above MA	$1,203,100±$35kHighest 114% above MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$2,042±$182Lowest 16% above MA	$2,891±$233Highest 64% above MA
Property taxmedian, yearly	$7,918Lowest 32% above MA	$10,000+Highest at least 67% above MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	56.4%±10Highest MA: 51.8%	50.1%±7.1Lowest MA: 51.8%
	Dedham and Lexington 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%	4.7%Lowest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	73.4%Lowest MA: 62.5%	80.5%Highest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1956Lowest 8 yrs older than MA	1965Highest 1 yr newer than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	29 minLowest about the MA average	31 minHighest 5% above MA
Work from home	20%±2.7Lowest MA: 18.6%	36.7%±3Highest MA: 18.6%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#119 of 282 in MA	#2 of 282 in MA
School district	Dedham	Lexington
High school in town	Dedham High	Lexington High
Students per teacherat that high school	10.4Lowest	11.4Highest
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.