Compare towns
Gloucester vs Peabody vs Upton vs Barnstable Town
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 shortest commute (24 min average).
Peabody has the youngest population (median age 45.3).
Upton has the most people working from home (22.8%).
Barnstable Town has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.2%).
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 | Peabody | Upton | Barnstable Town |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 30,075 |
54,695Highest |
8,189Lowest |
49,568 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.3%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+6.3% MA: +7.4% |
+6.1% MA: +7.4% |
+8.2%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 50.2±2.3Highest 26% above MA |
45.3±2.4Lowest 13% above MA |
46.4±4.8 16% above MA |
49.1±1.9 23% 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% |
18.7%±1.8 MA: 19.4% |
23.2%±4.5Highest MA: 19.4% |
17.2%±1.6 MA: 19.4% |
| Upton and Peabody are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 27.9%±2.3Highest MA: 17.9% |
24.3%±1.7 MA: 17.9% |
20.7%±4.9Lowest MA: 17.9% |
26.8%±1.8 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% MA: 47.3% |
35%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
53.5%Highest MA: 47.3% |
42.1% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.2%±0.7 MA: 7.9% |
4.4%±0.8 MA: 7.9% |
2.4%±1.3Lowest MA: 7.9% |
5.5%±1Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Barnstable Town and Peabody 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 |
$96,657±$4k 7% below MA |
$155,508±$33kHighest 50% above MA |
$91,982±$6k 12% below MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $600,600±$18k 7% above MA |
$596,200±$12k 6% above MA |
$576,700±$41kLowest about the MA average |
$602,500±$14kHighest 7% above MA |
| Barnstable Town and Gloucester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,411±$94 20% below MA |
$1,950±$99Highest 11% above MA |
$948±$599Lowest 46% below MA |
$1,917±$127 9% above MA |
| Peabody 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 |
$5,065 15% below MA |
$8,376Highest 40% above MA |
$3,975Lowest 34% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 55.1%±7.1 MA: 51.8% |
58.3%±5.9 MA: 51.8% |
52.8%±31Lowest MA: 51.8% |
64.6%±8.6Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Barnstable Town and Peabody 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% |
7.7% MA: 10% |
3.2%Lowest MA: 10% |
7.4% MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 63.9%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
65.6% MA: 62.5% |
86.7%Highest MA: 62.5% |
75.7% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1946Lowest 18 yrs older than MA |
1966 2 yrs newer than MA |
1981Highest 17 yrs newer than MA |
1978 14 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minLowest 18% below MA |
26 min 11% below MA |
35 minHighest 22% above MA |
25 min 15% below MA |
| Work from home | 12.7%±2.3 MA: 18.6% |
10.3%±1.6Lowest MA: 18.6% |
22.8%±5.3Highest MA: 18.6% |
12.3%±2.6 MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #164 of 282 in MA | #228 of 282 in MA | #46 of 282 in MA | #189 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Gloucester | Peabody | Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical · Mendon-Upton | Barnstable |
| High school in town | Gloucester High | Peabody Veterans Memorial High | Blackstone Valley | Barnstable High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.0Lowest |
10.3 |
11.2Highest |
10.6 |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.