What stands out worked out from the figures below

Hope has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.5%).

Dedham has the highest household income ($111k).

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	Hope	Dedham
People
Population	1,748Highest	1,656Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+10.5%Highest ME: +2.6%	-2%Lowest ME: +2.6%
Median age	44.6±3.1Lowest about the ME average	46.5±2.2Highest 4% above ME
	Dedham and Hope are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	23.3%±5.4Lowest ME: 18.1%	23.8%±3.6Highest ME: 18.1%
	Dedham and Hope are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	21.1%±1.3Highest ME: 22.4%	18.7%±2.9Lowest ME: 22.4%
	Hope and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	47.4%Lowest ME: 36.2%	49.5%Highest ME: 36.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.1%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8%	3.3%±1.7Highest ME: 5.8%
	Dedham and Hope are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$86,766±$6kLowest 16% above ME	$111,442±$18kHighest 49% above ME
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$373,400±$33kHighest 26% above ME	$356,400±$33kLowest 20% above ME
	Hope and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,219±$182Lowest 7% above ME	$1,422±$607Highest 25% above ME
	Dedham and Hope are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,842Lowest 27% above ME	$3,942Highest 30% above ME
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	37.8%±38.7Highest ME: 48.4%	13%±85.3Lowest ME: 48.4%
	Hope and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	5.3%Lowest ME: 10.7%	9%Highest ME: 10.7%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	92.9%Lowest ME: 74.3%	95.5%Highest ME: 74.3%
Typical home builtmedian year	1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME	1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	20 minLowest 19% below ME	30 minHighest 22% above ME
Work from home	18.3%±10.2Highest ME: 15.9%	9.3%±4.3Lowest ME: 15.9%
	Hope and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	Hope Public Schools	Dedham Public Schools
High school in town	None in town	None in town
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	None yet	None yet

ME 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.