Compare towns
Dedham vs Upton vs Northbridge vs Ellsworth
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 (95.5%).
Upton has the most people working from home (22.8%).
Northbridge has the oldest housing (typical home built 1973).
Ellsworth has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.5%).
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 | Upton | Northbridge | Ellsworth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,656Lowest |
8,189 |
16,458Highest |
8,657 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.1% U.S.: +7.4% |
+4% U.S.: +7.4% |
+8.5%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 46.5±2.2Highest 20% above U.S. |
46.4±4.8 19% above U.S. |
43.8±2.6 13% above U.S. |
43±2.4Lowest 11% above U.S. |
| Dedham and Upton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 23.8%±3.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
23.2%±4.5 U.S.: 22% |
21.1%±2.9 U.S.: 22% |
18.4%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Dedham and Upton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 18.7%±2.9 U.S.: 17.2% |
20.7%±4.9 U.S.: 17.2% |
16.4%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
22.1%±3.3Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Ellsworth and Upton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 49.5% U.S.: 35.7% |
53.5%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
36.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
39.3% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.3%±1.7 U.S.: 6.4% |
2.4%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.3%±1.3 U.S.: 6.4% |
5.3%±2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Ellsworth and Northbridge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $111,442±$18k 38% above U.S. |
$155,508±$33kHighest 93% above U.S. |
$111,319±$19k 38% above U.S. |
$77,375±$18kLowest 4% below U.S. |
| Upton and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $356,400±$33k 7% above U.S. |
$576,700±$41kHighest 73% above U.S. |
$448,600±$15k 35% above U.S. |
$242,300±$22kLowest 27% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,422±$607Highest about the U.S. average |
$948±$599Lowest 33% below U.S. |
$1,207±$102 15% below U.S. |
$1,017±$195 28% below U.S. |
| Dedham and Northbridge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,942 26% above U.S. |
$8,376Highest 169% above U.S. |
$4,821 55% above U.S. |
$3,262Lowest 5% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 13%±85.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
52.8%±31 U.S.: 51.1% |
51.2%±9.8 U.S.: 51.1% |
62.1%±15.7Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Ellsworth and Upton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 9% U.S.: 12.5% |
3.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
7.9% U.S.: 12.5% |
9.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 95.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
86.7% U.S.: 65.2% |
70.5% U.S.: 65.2% |
66.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Highest 3 yrs newer than U.S. |
1981 1 yr newer than U.S. |
1973Lowest 7 yrs older than U.S. |
1980 same as U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 30 min 14% above U.S. |
35 minHighest 34% above U.S. |
31 min 17% above U.S. |
25 minLowest 7% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 9.3%±4.3 U.S.: 15.1% |
22.8%±5.3Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
16.2%±3.6 U.S.: 15.1% |
7.1%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Upton and Northbridge 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 | — | #46 of 282 in MA | #226 of 282 in MA | #63 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Dedham Public Schools | Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical · Mendon-Upton | Northbridge | Ellsworth Public Schools |
| High school in town | None in town | Blackstone Valley | Northbridge High | Ellsworth High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 11.2 |
10.8Lowest |
12.7Highest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet | 5 photos → |
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.