What stands out worked out from the figures below

Dedham has grown the fastest since 2010 (-2%).

Manchester has the shortest commute (20 min average).

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	Manchester
People
Population	1,656Lowest	2,424Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-2%Highest ME: +2.6%	-4.8%Lowest ME: +2.6%
Median age	46.5±2.2Lowest 4% above ME	46.9±4.6Highest 5% above ME
	Manchester and Dedham 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%	19%±4.7Lowest ME: 18.1%
	Dedham and Manchester 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%	22.6%±4.1Highest ME: 22.4%
	Manchester and Dedham 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%	47.5%Lowest ME: 36.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.3%±1.7Highest ME: 5.8%	2.7%±1.6Lowest ME: 5.8%
	Dedham and Manchester 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	$92,031±$16kLowest 23% above ME
	Dedham and Manchester 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	$299,600±$40kLowest about the ME average
	Dedham and Manchester 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	$993±$116Lowest 13% below ME
	Dedham and Manchester 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	$3,486Lowest 15% above ME
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	13%±85.3Lowest ME: 48.4%	30.9%±18.6Highest ME: 48.4%
	Manchester 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%	4.5%Lowest ME: 10.7%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	95.5%Highest ME: 74.3%	85%Lowest ME: 74.3%
Typical home builtmedian year	1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME	1977Lowest same as ME
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	30 minHighest 22% above ME	20 minLowest 19% below ME
Work from home	9.3%±4.3Lowest ME: 15.9%	11.9%±5.7Highest ME: 15.9%
	Manchester and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	Dedham Public Schools	RSU 38
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.