What stands out worked out from the figures below

Everett has the most expensive homes ($610k median).

Shirley has the most people working from home (21.3%).

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	Everett	Shirley
People
Population	50,045Highest	1,146Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+17.8%Highest MA: +7.4%	+11.8%Lowest MA: +7.4%
Median age	35.2±1.5Lowest 12% below MA	44.2±14.6Highest 11% above MA
	Shirley and Everett are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	21.8%±2.1Highest MA: 19.4%	18.4%±8.8Lowest MA: 19.4%
	Everett and Shirley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	11.3%±1.1Lowest MA: 17.9%	15.8%±3.6Highest MA: 17.9%
	Shirley and Everett are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	24.9%Lowest MA: 47.3%	47.4%Highest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	6.3%±0.9Lowest MA: 7.9%	8%±6.4Highest MA: 7.9%
	Shirley and Everett are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$85,218±$7kLowest 18% below MA	$108,494±$62kHighest 4% above MA
	Shirley and Everett are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$610,000±$23kHighest 9% above MA	$395,800±$50kLowest 30% below MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$2,076±$69Highest 18% above MA	$982±$797Lowest 44% below MA
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,880Highest 19% below MA	$4,398Lowest 27% below MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	56.4%±5.8Highest MA: 51.8%	44.3%±15Lowest MA: 51.8%
	Everett and Shirley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	14.7%Highest MA: 10%	5.9%Lowest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	37.2%Lowest MA: 62.5%	63.2%Highest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1938 26 yrs older than MA	1938 26 yrs older than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	35 minHighest 20% above MA	32 minLowest 8% above MA
Work from home	10.5%±2Lowest MA: 18.6%	21.3%±17.7Highest MA: 18.6%
	Shirley and Everett 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	#264 of 282 in MA	#239 of 282 in MA
School district	Everett	—
High school in town	Everett High	—
Students per teacherat that high school	12.1	—
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.