What stands out worked out from the figures below

Hingham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.6%).

Kingston has the most affordable homes ($493k 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	Hingham	Kingston
People
Population	24,283Highest	6,275Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+9.6%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	+2.9%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	48.4±2.4Lowest 24% above U.S.	55.5±5.7Highest 43% above U.S.
	Kingston and Hingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	23.4%±2.1Highest U.S.: 22%	13.5%±3.9Lowest U.S.: 22%
Age 65+	26%±2.6Highest U.S.: 17.2%	24.7%±6Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Hingham and Kingston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	76.2%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	35.1%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.9%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	3.6%±2.1Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Kingston and Hingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$178,390±$15kHighest 121% above U.S.	$105,330±$12kLowest 30% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$1,134,200±$47kHighest 241% above U.S.	$492,900±$58kLowest 48% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$2,465±$603Highest 74% above U.S.	$1,393±$156Lowest about the U.S. average
Property taxmedian, yearly	$10,000+Highest at least 221% above U.S.	$7,906Lowest 153% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	60.3%±12Highest U.S.: 51.1%	46.9%±46.4Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Hingham and Kingston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	4.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	2.1%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	80.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	74.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1976Lowest 4 yrs older than U.S.	1982Highest 2 yrs newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	36 minHighest 37% above U.S.	34 minLowest 29% above U.S.
Work from home	33.1%±3.3Highest U.S.: 15.1%	15.7%±4.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#14 of 282 in MA	#78 of 120 in NH
School district	Hingham	Sanborn Regional School District
High school in town	Hingham High	Sanborn Regional High School
Students per teacherat that high school	12.9	12.9
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.