Compare towns
Florida vs Rowe vs Wakefield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Florida has the shortest commute (26 min average).
Rowe has the most kids (23% under 18).
Wakefield has the most people working from home (24.6%).
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 | Florida | Rowe | Wakefield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 668 |
453Lowest |
27,793Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -7.7%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
— | +8.7%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 56.1±4.4Highest 40% above MA |
48.9±6.4 22% above MA |
42.4±1.7Lowest 6% above MA |
| Florida and Rowe are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 11.5%±3.1Lowest MA: 19.4% |
23%±5Highest MA: 19.4% |
20%±2.2 MA: 19.4% |
| Rowe and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 30.1%±4.6 MA: 17.9% |
30.2%±8.1Highest MA: 17.9% |
19%±1.9Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Rowe and Florida are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 24.3%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
26.2% MA: 47.3% |
59.7%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.2%±2.6 MA: 7.9% |
3.3%±2Lowest MA: 7.9% |
4.4%±0.9Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Wakefield and Florida are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $86,875±$17k 16% below MA |
$69,583±$13kLowest 33% below MA |
$134,306±$14kHighest 29% above MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $246,800±$19kLowest 56% below MA |
$275,000±$41k 51% below MA |
$723,500±$24kHighest 29% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $867±$256Lowest 51% below MA |
$1,313±$576 25% below MA |
$1,958±$102Highest 11% above MA |
| Wakefield and Rowe are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,894 68% below MA |
$1,458Lowest 76% below MA |
$7,779Highest 30% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 16.7%±100 MA: 51.8% |
11.8%±100Lowest MA: 51.8% |
43.7%±7.9Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Wakefield and Florida are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 5.8% MA: 10% |
15.8%Highest MA: 10% |
4.9%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 91.3%Highest MA: 62.5% |
90.8% MA: 62.5% |
70.7%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1978Highest 14 yrs newer than MA |
1959 5 yrs older than MA |
1956Lowest 8 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minLowest 10% below MA |
36 minHighest 22% above MA |
33 min 14% above MA |
| Work from home | 6.4%±2.6Lowest MA: 18.6% |
7.2%±3.8 MA: 18.6% |
24.6%±3.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | — | #179 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Florida | Rowe | Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational Technical · Wakefield |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | Northeast Metro Regional Vocational |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 10.7 |
| 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.