Compare towns
Gloucester vs Barnstable Town vs Danvers
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Gloucester has the most renters (36.1% rent).
Barnstable Town has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.2%).
Danvers has the most people working from home (19.3%).
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.
| Measure | Gloucester | Barnstable Town | Danvers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 30,075 |
49,568Highest |
28,098Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.3%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+8.2%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+6% MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 50.2±2.3Highest 26% above MA |
49.1±1.9 23% above MA |
45.3±3Lowest 13% above MA |
| Gloucester and Barnstable Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 15.1%±1.6Lowest MA: 19.4% |
17.2%±1.6Highest MA: 19.4% |
17.2%±2Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 27.9%±2.3Highest MA: 17.9% |
26.8%±1.8 MA: 17.9% |
22.6%±2.2Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Gloucester and Barnstable Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 40.3%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
42.1% MA: 47.3% |
48.4%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.2%±0.7Lowest MA: 7.9% |
5.5%±1Highest MA: 7.9% |
4%±1.3 MA: 7.9% |
| Barnstable Town and Danvers are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $83,883±$6kLowest 19% below MA |
$91,982±$6k 12% below MA |
$125,395±$10kHighest 21% above MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $600,600±$18kLowest 7% above MA |
$602,500±$14k 7% above MA |
$644,200±$23kHighest 15% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,411±$94Lowest 20% below MA |
$1,917±$127 9% above MA |
$2,076±$192Highest 18% above MA |
| Danvers and Barnstable Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,152 about the MA average |
$3,975Lowest 34% below MA |
$6,654Highest 11% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 55.1%±7.1 MA: 51.8% |
64.6%±8.6Highest MA: 51.8% |
48.8%±8.6Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Barnstable Town and Gloucester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 9.6%Highest MA: 10% |
7.4% MA: 10% |
4.8%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 63.9%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
75.7%Highest MA: 62.5% |
69.2% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1946Lowest 18 yrs older than MA |
1978Highest 14 yrs newer than MA |
1963 1 yr older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minLowest 18% below MA |
25 min 15% below MA |
28 minHighest about the MA average |
| Work from home | 12.7%±2.3 MA: 18.6% |
12.3%±2.6Lowest MA: 18.6% |
19.3%±3.6Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #164 of 282 in MA | #189 of 282 in MA | #91 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Gloucester | Barnstable | Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School District · Danvers |
| High school in town | Gloucester High | Barnstable High | Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.0Lowest |
10.6 |
12.8Highest |
| 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.