Compare towns
Dracut vs Salem vs Randolph Town
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Dracut has the most kids (21.4% under 18).
Salem has the most people working from home (21.6%).
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 | Dracut | Salem | Randolph Town |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 32,574Lowest |
44,795Highest |
34,878 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +10.7%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+7.6%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
— |
| Median age | 41.7±2Highest 4% above MA |
39.3±1.5Lowest about the MA average |
41.3±1.8 3% above MA |
| Dracut and Randolph Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 21.4%±2.4Highest MA: 19.4% |
15.7%±1.7Lowest MA: 19.4% |
17.3%±2 MA: 19.4% |
| Dracut and Randolph Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 18.2%±2 MA: 17.9% |
17.2%±1.7Lowest MA: 17.9% |
18.4%±1.9Highest MA: 17.9% |
| Randolph Town and Dracut are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 36.4% MA: 47.3% |
47.8%Highest MA: 47.3% |
35.5%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.1%±1.3Lowest MA: 7.9% |
8.2%±1.1 MA: 7.9% |
9%±1.8Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Randolph Town and Salem 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 |
$85,153±$5kLowest 18% below MA |
$109,573±$6k 5% above MA |
| Dracut and Randolph Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $473,900±$17kLowest 16% below MA |
$542,800±$18kHighest 3% below MA |
$496,400±$21k 12% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,839±$130 4% above MA |
$1,836±$84Lowest 4% above MA |
$2,103±$98Highest 19% above MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,375Lowest 10% below MA |
$6,114Highest about the MA average |
$5,644 6% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 57.6%±7.4 MA: 51.8% |
54.9%±4.8Lowest MA: 51.8% |
62.1%±10.4Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Randolph Town and Dracut 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% |
12.1%Highest MA: 10% |
8.4% MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.8%Highest MA: 62.5% |
49.7%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
71.3% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975Highest 11 yrs newer than MA |
1938Lowest 26 yrs older than MA |
1966 2 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 min 4% above MA |
29 minLowest about the MA average |
37 minHighest 27% above MA |
| Work from home | 11.4%±2Lowest MA: 18.6% |
21.6%±2.5Highest MA: 18.6% |
15.1%±3.5 MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #201 of 282 in MA | #248 of 282 in MA | #260 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Dracut | Salem | Randolph |
| High school in town | Dracut Senior High | Salem High | Randolph High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.9 |
9.8Lowest |
14.2Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.