What stands out worked out from the figures below

Hatfield has the most affordable homes ($441k median).

Wakefield has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.7%).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Hatfield	Wakefield
People
Population	3,325Lowest	27,793Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+2.2%Lowest MA: +7.4%	+8.7%Highest MA: +7.4%
Median age	46.8±5Highest 17% above MA	42.4±1.7Lowest 6% above MA
	Hatfield and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	14%±4.3Lowest MA: 19.4%	20%±2.2Highest MA: 19.4%
	Wakefield and Hatfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	23.3%±4.6Highest MA: 17.9%	19%±1.9Lowest MA: 17.9%
	Hatfield and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	48.5%Lowest MA: 47.3%	59.7%Highest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.1%±2.6Highest MA: 7.9%	4.4%±0.9Lowest MA: 7.9%
	Hatfield and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$89,005±$25kLowest 14% below MA	$134,306±$14kHighest 29% above MA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$440,800±$26kLowest 22% below MA	$723,500±$24kHighest 29% above MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,267±$216Lowest 28% below MA	$1,958±$102Highest 11% above MA
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,930Lowest 18% below MA	$7,779Highest 30% above MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	42.6%±11.8Lowest MA: 51.8%	43.7%±7.9Highest MA: 51.8%
	Wakefield and Hatfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	8.9%Highest MA: 10%	4.9%Lowest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	74.6%Highest MA: 62.5%	70.7%Lowest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1967Highest 3 yrs newer than MA	1956Lowest 8 yrs older than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	20 minLowest 30% below MA	33 minHighest 14% above MA
Work from home	16%±6.3Lowest MA: 18.6%	24.6%±3.1Highest MA: 18.6%
	Wakefield and Hatfield 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	#198 of 282 in MA	#179 of 282 in MA
School district	Hatfield	Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational Technical · Wakefield
High school in town	Smith Academy	Northeast Metro Regional Vocational
Students per teacherat that high school	6.1Lowest	10.7Highest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.