Compare towns
Dedham vs North Andover 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 affordable homes ($662k median).
North Andover has the youngest population (median age 39.6).
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 | North Andover | Wakefield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 25,237Lowest |
31,490Highest |
27,793 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.6%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+9%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+8.7% MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 44.6±1.6Highest 12% above MA |
39.6±2Lowest about the MA average |
42.4±1.7 6% above MA |
| Dedham and Wakefield 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% |
21.2%±2.1Highest MA: 19.4% |
20%±2.2 MA: 19.4% |
| North Andover and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 21.9%±2Highest MA: 17.9% |
17%±1.9Lowest MA: 17.9% |
19%±1.9 MA: 17.9% |
| Dedham and Wakefield 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% |
61.1%Highest MA: 47.3% |
59.7% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±1 MA: 7.9% |
11%±2.4Highest MA: 7.9% |
4.4%±0.9Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $128,955±$10kLowest 24% above MA |
$140,670±$9kHighest 35% above MA |
$134,306±$14k 29% above MA |
| North Andover and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $661,800±$16kLowest 18% above MA |
$732,900±$37kHighest 30% above MA |
$723,500±$24k 29% above MA |
| North Andover 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 |
$2,223±$223Highest 26% above MA |
$1,958±$102Lowest 11% above MA |
| North Andover and Dedham 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 |
$7,767Lowest 30% above MA |
$7,779 30% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±10Highest MA: 51.8% |
53%±9 MA: 51.8% |
43.7%±7.9Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Dedham and North Andover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 5.6% MA: 10% |
9.4%Highest MA: 10% |
4.9%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 73.4%Highest MA: 62.5% |
69.8%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
70.7% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1956Lowest 8 yrs older than MA |
1979Highest 15 yrs newer than MA |
1956Lowest 8 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minLowest about the MA average |
32 min 9% above MA |
33 minHighest 14% above MA |
| Work from home | 20%±2.7Lowest MA: 18.6% |
20.3%±2.5 MA: 18.6% |
24.6%±3.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Wakefield and North Andover 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 | #98 of 282 in MA | #179 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Dedham | North Andover | Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational Technical · Wakefield |
| High school in town | Dedham High | North Andover High | Northeast Metro Regional Vocational |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.4Lowest |
13.3Highest |
10.7 |
| 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.