Compare towns
Dedham vs Hope vs Springfield vs Otis
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Dedham has the highest household income ($111k).
Hope has the most people working from home (18.3%).
Springfield has the most affordable homes ($123k median).
Otis has the oldest population (median age 54.7).
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.
| Measure | Dedham | Hope | Springfield | Otis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,656 |
1,748Highest |
310Lowest |
705 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+10.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
— | +0.1% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 46.5±2.2 4% above ME |
44.6±3.1Lowest about the ME average |
52.4±7 17% above ME |
54.7±3.1Highest 22% above ME |
| Otis and Springfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 23.8%±3.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
23.3%±5.4 ME: 18.1% |
18.1%±5.6 ME: 18.1% |
16.6%±7.8Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Dedham and Hope are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 18.7%±2.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
21.1%±1.3 ME: 22.4% |
21.6%±5.4Highest ME: 22.4% |
20.9%±8 ME: 22.4% |
| Springfield and Hope are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 49.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
47.4% ME: 36.2% |
17.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
34.8% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.3%±1.7Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.1%±1.3 ME: 5.8% |
0.6%±3.7Lowest ME: 5.8% |
0.6%±1.7Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Dedham and Hope are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $111,442±$18kHighest 49% above ME |
$86,766±$6k 16% above ME |
$60,833±$23kLowest 19% below ME |
$101,250±$27k 35% above ME |
| Dedham and Otis are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $356,400±$33k 20% above ME |
$373,400±$33kHighest 26% above ME |
$122,500±$28kLowest 59% below ME |
$282,500±$23k 5% below ME |
| Hope and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,422±$607 25% above ME |
$1,219±$182Lowest 7% above ME |
— | $1,563±$734Highest 37% above ME |
| Otis and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,942Highest 30% above ME |
$3,842 27% above ME |
$1,067Lowest 65% below ME |
$2,263 25% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 13%±85.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
37.8%±38.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
— | 35.7%±100 ME: 48.4% |
| Hope and Otis are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
5.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
5.5% ME: 10.7% |
7.8% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 95.5% ME: 74.3% |
92.9% ME: 74.3% |
96.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
89.5%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
1987 10 yrs newer than ME |
1990 13 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 30 min 22% above ME |
20 minLowest 19% below ME |
30 min 21% above ME |
42 minHighest 69% above ME |
| Work from home | 9.3%±4.3 ME: 15.9% |
18.3%±10.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
9.6%±5.2 ME: 15.9% |
5.1%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Hope and Springfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| School district | Dedham Public Schools | Hope Public Schools | — | Otis Public Schools |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | — | None in town |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet | None yet |
ME 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.