Compare towns
Florida vs Wakefield vs Monroe
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).
Wakefield has the most people working from home (24.6%).
Monroe has the most affordable homes ($165k median).
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 | Wakefield | Monroe |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 668 |
27,793Highest |
122Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -7.7%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+8.7%Highest MA: +7.4% |
— |
| Median age | 56.1±4.4 40% above MA |
42.4±1.7Lowest 6% above MA |
60.2±9.9Highest 51% above MA |
| Monroe and Florida 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% |
20%±2.2Highest MA: 19.4% |
16.4%±28 MA: 19.4% |
| Wakefield and Monroe 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% |
19%±1.9Lowest MA: 17.9% |
31.1%±27.3Highest MA: 17.9% |
| Monroe 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% MA: 47.3% |
59.7%Highest MA: 47.3% |
19.8%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.2%±2.6Lowest MA: 7.9% |
4.4%±0.9 MA: 7.9% |
9%±18.5Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Monroe and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $86,875±$17kLowest 16% below MA |
$134,306±$14kHighest 29% above MA |
— |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $246,800±$19k 56% below MA |
$723,500±$24kHighest 29% above MA |
$165,000±$141kLowest 71% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $867±$256Lowest 51% below MA |
$1,958±$102Highest 11% above MA |
— |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,894Lowest 68% below MA |
$7,779Highest 30% above MA |
$2,053 66% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 16.7%±100 MA: 51.8% |
43.7%±7.9Highest MA: 51.8% |
0%±100Lowest 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% |
4.9%Lowest MA: 10% |
38.5%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 91.3%Highest MA: 62.5% |
70.7%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
75.9% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1978Highest 14 yrs newer than MA |
1956 8 yrs older than MA |
1938Lowest 26 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minLowest 10% below MA |
33 min 14% above MA |
56 minHighest 93% above MA |
| Work from home | 6.4%±2.6 MA: 18.6% |
24.6%±3.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
0%±41.2Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | #179 of 282 in MA | — |
| School district | Florida | Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational Technical · Wakefield | — |
| High school 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.