What stands out worked out from the figures below

Hermon has grown the fastest since 2010 (+19.3%).

Peabody has the most expensive homes ($596k median).

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	Hermon	Peabody
People
Population	6,727Lowest	54,695Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+19.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	+6.3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	41.1±4.7Lowest 6% above U.S.	45.3±2.4Highest 16% above U.S.
	Peabody and Hermon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	21.6%±4.6Highest U.S.: 22%	18.7%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Hermon and Peabody are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	20.4%±4.7Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	24.3%±1.7Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Peabody and Hermon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	37.6%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	35%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4.8%±2.1Highest U.S.: 6.4%	4.4%±0.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Hermon and Peabody are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$96,629±$22kLowest 20% above U.S.	$96,657±$4kHighest 20% above U.S.
	Peabody and Hermon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$333,600±$32kLowest about the U.S. average	$596,200±$12kHighest 79% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,406±$202Lowest about the U.S. average	$1,950±$99Highest 38% above U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$2,761Lowest 11% below U.S.	$5,065Highest 62% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	28.2%±19.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	58.3%±5.9Highest U.S.: 51.1%
Below poverty line	6.8%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	7.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	75.2%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	65.6%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	2000Highest 20 yrs newer than U.S.	1966Lowest 14 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	23 minLowest 14% below U.S.	26 minHighest about the U.S. average
Work from home	8.8%±4.2Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	10.3%±1.6Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Peabody and Hermon 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	#54 of 133 in ME	#228 of 282 in MA
School district	Hermon Public Schools	Peabody
High school in town	Hermon High School	Peabody Veterans Memorial High
Students per teacherat that high school	14.6Highest	10.3Lowest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	None yet	None yet

U.S. 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.