Compare towns
Hull vs Marblehead vs Needham vs Mashpee
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Hull has the most renters (20.4% rent).
Marblehead has the most people working from home (34%).
Needham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+11.1%).
Mashpee has the most affordable homes ($562k 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.
| Measure | Hull | Marblehead | Needham | Mashpee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 10,138Lowest |
20,413 |
32,459Highest |
15,384 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2.1%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+3.2% MA: +7.4% |
+11.1%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+7.5% MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 56.1±1.8Highest 40% above MA |
49.1±2 23% above MA |
43.1±1.6Lowest 8% above MA |
55.9±1.8 40% above MA |
| Hull and Mashpee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 11.4%±2.2Lowest MA: 19.4% |
22.3%±2.5 MA: 19.4% |
27.5%±2.2Highest MA: 19.4% |
14.7%±2.3 MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 26.1%±3.1 MA: 17.9% |
22.7%±2.5 MA: 17.9% |
17.7%±1.7Lowest MA: 17.9% |
33.1%±2.9Highest MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 50.4% MA: 47.3% |
78.3% MA: 47.3% |
81.9%Highest MA: 47.3% |
44.3%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.2%±2.2 MA: 7.9% |
3.8%±1Lowest MA: 7.9% |
5.4%±1.1Highest MA: 7.9% |
4.5%±1.4 MA: 7.9% |
| Needham and Mashpee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $115,485±$14k 11% above MA |
$182,132±$28k 75% above MA |
$214,308±$13kHighest 106% above MA |
$95,299±$13kLowest 8% below MA |
| Needham and Marblehead are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $646,000±$38k 15% above MA |
$943,900±$31k 68% above MA |
$1,188,500±$43kHighest 111% above MA |
$562,200±$29kLowest about the MA average |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,081±$187 18% above MA |
$1,764±$147Lowest about the MA average |
$2,409±$183Highest 37% above MA |
$1,776±$330 about the MA average |
| Needham and Hull are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,089 about the MA average |
$8,309 39% above MA |
$10,000+Highest at least 67% above MA |
$3,762Lowest 37% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52.8%±14 MA: 51.8% |
49.5%±8.8 MA: 51.8% |
55.9%±8.5Highest MA: 51.8% |
44.7%±14.5Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Needham and Hull are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 5.8%Highest MA: 10% |
4.4% MA: 10% |
3.7%Lowest MA: 10% |
5.5% MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.6%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
85.2%Highest MA: 62.5% |
83.1% MA: 62.5% |
81.9% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1946 18 yrs older than MA |
1944Lowest 20 yrs older than MA |
1965 1 yr newer than MA |
1988Highest 24 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 33 minHighest 14% above MA |
33 min 13% above MA |
28 min 5% below MA |
27 minLowest 6% below MA |
| Work from home | 19.7%±4.3 MA: 18.6% |
34%±3.6Highest MA: 18.6% |
32.4%±2.4 MA: 18.6% |
14.5%±3Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Marblehead and Needham 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 | #66 of 282 in MA | #47 of 282 in MA | #19 of 282 in MA | #100 of 282 in MA |
| School district | — | Marblehead | Needham | Mashpee |
| High school in town | — | Marblehead High | Needham High | Mashpee Middle-High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 10.7 |
11.9Highest |
9.6Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.