What stands out worked out from the figures below

Dracut has the most people working from home (11.4%).

New Bedford has the most renters (59.7% rent).

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	Dracut	New Bedford
People
Population	32,574Lowest	100,998Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+10.7%Highest MA: +7.4%	+6.3%Lowest MA: +7.4%
Median age	41.7±2Highest 4% above MA	37±0.8Lowest 8% below MA
Kids under 18	21.4%±2.4Lowest MA: 19.4%	23.9%±1.2Highest MA: 19.4%
	New Bedford and Dracut are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	18.2%±2Highest MA: 17.9%	15.4%±0.9Lowest MA: 17.9%
	Dracut and New Bedford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	36.4%Highest MA: 47.3%	17%Lowest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.1%±1.3Highest MA: 7.9%	4.1%±0.5Lowest MA: 7.9%
	Dracut and New Bedford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$114,036±$10kHighest 10% above MA	$56,981±$3kLowest 45% below MA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$473,900±$17kHighest 16% below MA	$357,300±$6kLowest 36% below MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,839±$130Highest 4% above MA	$1,137±$26Lowest 35% below MA
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,375Highest 10% below MA	$4,338Lowest 28% below MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	57.6%±7.4Highest MA: 51.8%	52.6%±3.2Lowest MA: 51.8%
	Dracut and New Bedford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	7.8%Lowest MA: 10%	20.6%Highest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	79.8%Highest MA: 62.5%	40.3%Lowest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1975Highest 11 yrs newer than MA	1938Lowest 26 yrs older than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	30 minHighest 4% above MA	25 minLowest 15% below MA
Work from home	11.4%±2Highest MA: 18.6%	5.4%±0.9Lowest MA: 18.6%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#201 of 282 in MA	#263 of 282 in MA
School district	Dracut	New Bedford · Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical
High school in town	Dracut Senior High	New Bedford High
Students per teacherat that high school	12.9Lowest	13.5Highest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.