Compare towns
Framingham vs Danvers vs Southborough
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Framingham has the most renters (45.2% rent).
Danvers has the shortest commute (28 min average).
Southborough has the most people working from home (31%).
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 | Framingham | Danvers | Southborough |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 72,399Highest |
28,098 |
10,493Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.9%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+6% MA: +7.4% |
+7%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 37.5±1Lowest 6% below MA |
45.3±3Highest 13% above MA |
43.6±1.7 9% above MA |
| Danvers and Southborough are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 21.7%±1.6 MA: 19.4% |
17.2%±2Lowest MA: 19.4% |
27%±4.2Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Southborough and Framingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 15.1%±1.1 MA: 17.9% |
22.6%±2.2Highest MA: 17.9% |
13.8%±2Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 48.7% MA: 47.3% |
48.4%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
76.2%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.5%±0.8Highest MA: 7.9% |
4%±1.3 MA: 7.9% |
3.7%±1Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $107,419±$6kLowest 3% above MA |
$125,395±$10k 21% above MA |
$196,808±$16kHighest 89% above MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $627,300±$10kLowest 12% above MA |
$644,200±$23k 15% above MA |
$821,100±$51kHighest 46% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,033±$57Lowest 15% above MA |
$2,076±$192 18% above MA |
$2,496±$309Highest 42% above MA |
| Southborough and Danvers are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,884 15% above MA |
$6,654Lowest 11% above MA |
$10,000+Highest at least 67% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 53.4%±5.6Highest MA: 51.8% |
48.8%±8.6 MA: 51.8% |
32%±15Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Framingham and Danvers are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 10.4%Highest MA: 10% |
4.8% MA: 10% |
3.7%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 54.8%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
69.2% MA: 62.5% |
88.2%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1966 2 yrs newer than MA |
1963Lowest 1 yr older than MA |
1981Highest 17 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 min 4% above MA |
28 minLowest about the MA average |
32 minHighest 10% above MA |
| Work from home | 19.6%±2.2 MA: 18.6% |
19.3%±3.6Lowest MA: 18.6% |
31%±4.2Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #229 of 282 in MA | #91 of 282 in MA | #8 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Framingham · South Middlesex Regional Vocational Technical | Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School District · Danvers | Southborough |
| High school in town | Framingham High School | Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.7Lowest |
12.8Highest |
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| 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.