Compare towns
Dunstable vs Upton vs Devens vs Topsfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Dunstable has the most homeowners (96.5%).
Devens has the most renters (20.7% rent).
Topsfield has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8%).
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 | Dunstable | Upton | Devens | Topsfield |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 3,408 |
8,189Highest |
1,723Lowest |
6,564 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.6% MA: +7.4% |
+6.1% MA: +7.4% |
-7.8%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+8%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 41.5±2.4Lowest 4% above MA |
46.4±4.8 16% above MA |
48.6±4.3Highest 22% above MA |
42.2±1.8 6% above MA |
| Devens and Upton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 22.4%±4.3 MA: 19.4% |
23.2%±4.5 MA: 19.4% |
5.5%±3.9Lowest MA: 19.4% |
24.8%±4.7Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Topsfield and Upton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 15%±2.6 MA: 17.9% |
20.7%±4.9 MA: 17.9% |
14%±5Lowest MA: 17.9% |
22.4%±3.8Highest MA: 17.9% |
| Topsfield and Upton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 62.4% MA: 47.3% |
53.5% MA: 47.3% |
21.9%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
71.8%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 7.1%±2.5Highest MA: 7.9% |
2.4%±1.3Lowest MA: 7.9% |
5.2%±4.2 MA: 7.9% |
3.8%±1.9 MA: 7.9% |
| Dunstable and Devens are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $208,512±$23kHighest 101% above MA |
$155,508±$33kLowest 50% above MA |
$189,250±$63k 82% above MA |
$195,718±$16k 88% above MA |
| Dunstable and Topsfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $674,000±$30k 20% above MA |
$576,700±$41k about the MA average |
$556,800±$96kLowest about the MA average |
$853,400±$40kHighest 52% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,325±$637 25% below MA |
$948±$599Lowest 46% below MA |
$1,500±$539Highest 15% below MA |
$1,115±$538 37% below MA |
| Devens and Dunstable are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $9,020 51% above MA |
$8,376 40% above MA |
$5,556Lowest 7% below MA |
$10,000+Highest at least 67% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 60%±77.1 MA: 51.8% |
52.8%±31 MA: 51.8% |
85.4%±64.7Highest MA: 51.8% |
41.9%±40.8Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Devens and Dunstable are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 0.5%Lowest MA: 10% |
3.2% MA: 10% |
25.3%Highest MA: 10% |
7.5% MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 96.5%Highest MA: 62.5% |
86.7% MA: 62.5% |
79.3%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
90.4% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1987Highest 23 yrs newer than MA |
1981 17 yrs newer than MA |
1950Lowest 14 yrs older than MA |
1969 5 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 34 min 18% above MA |
35 minHighest 22% above MA |
28 min 4% below MA |
28 minLowest 5% below MA |
| Work from home | 20%±3.9Lowest MA: 18.6% |
22.8%±5.3 MA: 18.6% |
28.5%±11.5 MA: 18.6% |
29.4%±8.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Topsfield and Devens 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 | #4 of 282 in MA | #46 of 282 in MA | — | #172 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Groton-Dunstable | Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical · Mendon-Upton | — | Topsfield |
| High school in town | None in town | Blackstone Valley | — | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 11.2 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.