Compare towns
Hanover vs Wakefield vs Littleton
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Hanover has the highest household income ($190k).
Wakefield has the most renters (29.3% rent).
Littleton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+13.6%).
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 | Hanover | Wakefield | Littleton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 14,845 |
27,793Highest |
10,280Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.9%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+8.7% MA: +7.4% |
+13.6%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 41.8±1.4Lowest 4% above MA |
42.4±1.7 6% above MA |
43.5±2Highest 9% above MA |
| Littleton and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 26.1%±3.5Highest MA: 19.4% |
20%±2.2Lowest MA: 19.4% |
22.2%±3.2 MA: 19.4% |
| Hanover and Littleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 16.1%±2.1Lowest MA: 17.9% |
19%±1.9Highest MA: 17.9% |
17.6%±2.8 MA: 17.9% |
| Wakefield and Littleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 56.8%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
59.7%Highest MA: 47.3% |
59.6% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±1.6Lowest MA: 7.9% |
4.4%±0.9 MA: 7.9% |
4.7%±1.7Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Littleton and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $189,803±$23kHighest 83% above MA |
$134,306±$14kLowest 29% above MA |
$149,722±$31k 44% above MA |
| Hanover and Littleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $755,400±$39kHighest 34% above MA |
$723,500±$24k 29% above MA |
$658,300±$40kLowest 17% above MA |
| Hanover and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,845±$341Lowest 5% above MA |
$1,958±$102 11% above MA |
$2,016±$507Highest 14% above MA |
| Littleton and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $9,342 56% above MA |
$7,779Lowest 30% above MA |
$9,458Highest 58% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 65%±23.8Highest MA: 51.8% |
43.7%±7.9Lowest MA: 51.8% |
55.7%±13.4 MA: 51.8% |
| Hanover and Littleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 4.8%Lowest MA: 10% |
4.9% MA: 10% |
5.6%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84.5%Highest MA: 62.5% |
70.7%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
83.6% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1978Highest 14 yrs newer than MA |
1956Lowest 8 yrs older than MA |
1977 13 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 32 minLowest 10% above MA |
33 minHighest 14% above MA |
33 minHighest 14% above MA |
| Work from home | 19.6%±4.8Lowest MA: 18.6% |
24.6%±3.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
22.8%±4.3 MA: 18.6% |
| Wakefield and Littleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #69 of 282 in MA | #179 of 282 in MA | #52 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Hanover · South Shore Regional Vocational Technical | Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational Technical · Wakefield | Littleton |
| High school in town | South Shore Vocational Technical High | Northeast Metro Regional Vocational | Littleton High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.3Lowest |
10.7 |
13.1Highest |
| 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.