What stands out worked out from the figures below

Dedham has the highest household income ($111k).

Jefferson has grown the fastest since 2010 (+5.1%).

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	Jefferson
People
Population	1,656Lowest	2,647Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-2%Lowest ME: +2.6%	+5.1%Highest ME: +2.6%
Median age	46.5±2.2Highest 4% above ME	38.1±4.9Lowest 15% below ME
Kids under 18	23.8%±3.6Lowest ME: 18.1%	28%±5.7Highest ME: 18.1%
	Jefferson and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	18.7%±2.9 ME: 22.4%	18.7%±3.5 ME: 22.4%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	49.5%Highest ME: 36.2%	27.6%Lowest ME: 36.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.3%±1.7Lowest ME: 5.8%	4.6%±2.5Highest ME: 5.8%
	Jefferson and Dedham 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	$85,078±$17kLowest 14% above ME
	Dedham and Jefferson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$356,400±$33kHighest 20% above ME	$311,600±$35kLowest 5% above ME
	Dedham and Jefferson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,422±$607Highest 25% above ME	$1,120±$130Lowest about the ME average
	Dedham and Jefferson 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	$2,587Lowest 15% below ME
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	13%±85.3Lowest ME: 48.4%	29.8%±25.1Highest ME: 48.4%
	Jefferson and Dedham 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%	3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	95.5%Highest ME: 74.3%	83.8%Lowest ME: 74.3%
Typical home builtmedian year	1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME	1987Highest 10 yrs newer than ME
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	30 minLowest 22% above ME	30 minHighest 23% above ME
Work from home	9.3%±4.3Highest ME: 15.9%	8.9%±3.6Lowest ME: 15.9%
	Dedham and Jefferson 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	—	#45 of 133 in ME
School district	Dedham Public Schools	Jefferson Public Schools
High school in town	None in town	None in town
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.