Compare towns
Dover vs Mendon vs Southampton
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Dover has the most people working from home (34.2%).
Mendon has the most renters (13.1% rent).
Southampton has the most affordable homes ($452k 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.
| Measure | Dover | Mendon | Southampton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 5,930Lowest |
6,325Highest |
6,230 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+6.7% MA: +7.4% |
+7.5%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 44.9±2.3Highest 12% above MA |
44.1±4.4 10% above MA |
43.4±3.5Lowest 9% above MA |
| Dover and Mendon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 26%±5.2Highest MA: 19.4% |
22.8%±6.2 MA: 19.4% |
19.1%±4Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Dover and Mendon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 16.7%±2.9 MA: 17.9% |
14.7%±3.4Lowest MA: 17.9% |
21.9%±4.8Highest MA: 17.9% |
| Southampton and Dover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 84.8%Highest MA: 47.3% |
46.9% MA: 47.3% |
41.1%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 7.2%±2.7Highest MA: 7.9% |
6.8%±2.5 MA: 7.9% |
4.7%±2.2Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| Dover and Mendon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $250,001Highest 140% above MA |
$132,256±$33k 27% above MA |
$123,125±$23kLowest 18% above MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $1,340,300±$117kHighest 138% above MA |
$616,000±$37k 10% above MA |
$452,300±$25kLowest 20% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,917±$2kHighest 66% above MA |
$1,840±$196Lowest 4% above MA |
— |
| Dover and Mendon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $10,000+Highest at least 67% above MA |
$7,213 20% above MA |
$5,470Lowest 9% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 20%±100Lowest MA: 51.8% |
78.7%±26Highest MA: 51.8% |
26.2%±18.4 MA: 51.8% |
| Below poverty line | 2.7% MA: 10% |
7.1%Highest MA: 10% |
2.6%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 97.9%Highest MA: 62.5% |
86.9%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
90.7% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1970Lowest 6 yrs newer than MA |
1985Highest 21 yrs newer than MA |
1983 19 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 35 minHighest 19% above MA |
30 min 4% above MA |
22 minLowest 23% below MA |
| Work from home | 34.2%±6.4Highest MA: 18.6% |
15.1%±5.7 MA: 18.6% |
8.2%±3.6Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #1 of 282 in MA | #210 of 282 in MA | #205 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Dover · Dover-Sherborn | Mendon-Upton | Southampton |
| High school in town | Dover-Sherborn Regional High | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.8 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 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.