What stands out worked out from the figures below

Dighton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+14.3%).

Rochester has the most expensive homes ($599k 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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Dighton	Rochester
People
Population	8,193Highest	5,837Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+14.3%Highest MA: +7.4%	+9.3%Lowest MA: +7.4%
Median age	42.7±2.9Lowest 7% above MA	46.5±6Highest 16% above MA
	Rochester and Dighton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	21%±4Highest MA: 19.4%	20.1%±4.6Lowest MA: 19.4%
	Dighton and Rochester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	17.5%±3.5Lowest MA: 17.9%	20.1%±4.2Highest MA: 17.9%
	Rochester and Dighton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	35.9%Lowest MA: 47.3%	43.5%Highest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4.2%±2Highest MA: 7.9%	4%±1.5Lowest MA: 7.9%
	Dighton and Rochester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$136,646±$19kHighest 31% above MA	$120,273±$12kLowest 16% above MA
	Dighton and Rochester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$501,900±$47kLowest 11% below MA	$599,100±$31kHighest 7% above MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,405±$192Lowest 20% below MA	$1,432±$743Highest 19% below MA
	Rochester and Dighton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$6,452Lowest 8% above MA	$6,530Highest 9% above MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	11.8%±16.1Lowest MA: 51.8%	39.1%±10.2Highest MA: 51.8%
Below poverty line	2.9%Lowest MA: 10%	5.4%Highest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	90.1%Highest MA: 62.5%	88.1%Lowest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1975Lowest 11 yrs newer than MA	1984Highest 20 yrs newer than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	31 minLowest 6% above MA	37 minHighest 25% above MA
Work from home	11%±3.9Highest MA: 18.6%	8.3%±3.7Lowest MA: 18.6%
	Dighton and Rochester 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	#85 of 282 in MA	#104 of 282 in MA
School district	Bristol County Agricultural · Dighton-Rehoboth	Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical · Rochester
High school in town	Bristol County Agricultural High	Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical
Students per teacherat that high school	11.9Highest	9.1Lowest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	None yet	None yet

MA 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.