Compare towns
Dedham vs Wakefield vs Putnam
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Dedham has the most homeowners (73.4%).
Wakefield has the most people working from home (24.6%).
Putnam has the most affordable homes ($269k 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.
| Measure | Dedham | Wakefield | Putnam |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 25,237 |
27,793Highest |
9,292Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.6%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+8.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
— |
| Median age | 44.6±1.6Highest 15% above U.S. |
42.4±1.7Lowest 9% above U.S. |
43.7±3 12% above U.S. |
| Dedham and Putnam are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 18.6%±1.9Lowest U.S.: 22% |
20%±2.2Highest U.S.: 22% |
18.6%±3.6Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Wakefield and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 21.9%±2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
19%±1.9 U.S.: 17.2% |
18.5%±3.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| 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% U.S.: 35.7% |
59.7%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
20%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±1Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.4%±0.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
3.9%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Dedham and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $128,955±$10k 60% above U.S. |
$134,306±$14kHighest 66% above U.S. |
$70,561±$7kLowest 13% below U.S. |
| 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 99% above U.S. |
$723,500±$24kHighest 117% above U.S. |
$269,200±$11kLowest 19% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,042±$182Highest 45% above U.S. |
$1,958±$102 39% above U.S. |
$1,149±$44Lowest 19% below U.S. |
| Dedham and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $7,918Highest 154% above U.S. |
$7,779 149% above U.S. |
$3,860Lowest 24% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±10Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
43.7%±7.9 U.S.: 51.1% |
37.7%±11.6Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Dedham and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 5.6% U.S.: 12.5% |
4.9%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
11.5%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 73.4%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
70.7% U.S.: 65.2% |
59.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1956Lowest 24 yrs older than U.S. |
1956Lowest 24 yrs older than U.S. |
1961Highest 19 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 11% above U.S. |
33 minHighest 26% above U.S. |
25 minLowest 6% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 20%±2.7 U.S.: 15.1% |
24.6%±3.1Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
9%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Wakefield and Dedham 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 | #179 of 282 in MA | #128 of 149 in CT |
| School district | Dedham | Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational Technical · Wakefield | Putnam School District |
| High school in town | Dedham High | Northeast Metro Regional Vocational | Putnam High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.4 |
10.7Highest |
9.5Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet |
U.S. 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.