Compare towns
Dover vs Peru
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 expensive homes ($1340k median).
Peru has the most affordable homes ($267k 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 | Peru |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 5,930Highest |
630Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6%Highest MA: +7.4% |
-3.9%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 44.9±2.3Lowest 12% above MA |
52.6±4.8Highest 32% above MA |
| Kids under 18 | 26%±5.2Highest MA: 19.4% |
16.3%±3.5Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 16.7%±2.9Lowest MA: 17.9% |
29.7%±6.9Highest MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 84.8%Highest MA: 47.3% |
28%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 7.2%±2.7Highest MA: 7.9% |
3.2%±2Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| Dover and Peru 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 |
$90,750±$18kLowest 13% below MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $1,340,300±$117kHighest 138% above MA |
$267,400±$15kLowest 52% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,917±$2k 66% above MA |
— |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $10,000+Highest at least 67% above MA |
$3,805Lowest 36% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 20%±100Highest MA: 51.8% |
0%±100Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Dover and Peru are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 2.7%Lowest MA: 10% |
3.2%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 97.9%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
98.2%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1970Lowest 6 yrs newer than MA |
1983Highest 19 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 35 minHighest 19% above MA |
31 minLowest 7% above MA |
| Work from home | 34.2%±6.4Highest MA: 18.6% |
10.3%±4.8Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #1 of 282 in MA | — |
| School district | Dover · Dover-Sherborn | — |
| High school in town | Dover-Sherborn Regional High | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.8 |
— |
| 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.