Compare towns
Hull vs Boston vs Hingham vs Harwich
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 affordable homes ($646k median).
Boston has the most renters (64.3% rent).
Hingham has the most people working from home (33.1%).
Harwich has the shortest commute (25 min average).
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 | Boston | Hingham | Harwich |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 10,138Lowest |
666,442Highest |
24,283 |
13,598 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2.1%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+9.4% MA: +7.4% |
+9.6% MA: +7.4% |
+9.8%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 56.1±1.8 40% above MA |
33.3±0.2Lowest 17% below MA |
48.4±2.4 21% above MA |
58.6±1.5Highest 47% above MA |
| Harwich and Hull 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% |
15.1%±0.3 MA: 19.4% |
23.4%±2.1Highest MA: 19.4% |
11.7%±2.5 MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 26.1%±3.1 MA: 17.9% |
13%±0.3Lowest MA: 17.9% |
26%±2.6 MA: 17.9% |
35.8%±3.5Highest MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 50.4%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
54.9% MA: 47.3% |
76.2%Highest MA: 47.3% |
50.6% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.2%±2.2 MA: 7.9% |
15%±0.3Highest MA: 7.9% |
2.9%±0.9 MA: 7.9% |
2.4%±1.2Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $115,485±$14k 11% above MA |
$97,344±$2k 6% below MA |
$178,390±$15kHighest 72% above MA |
$96,966±$13kLowest 7% below MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $646,000±$38kLowest 15% above MA |
$731,700±$10k 30% above MA |
$1,134,200±$47kHighest 102% above MA |
$658,600±$26k 17% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,081±$187 18% above MA |
$2,147±$25 22% above MA |
$2,465±$603Highest 40% above MA |
$2,017±$738Lowest 14% above MA |
| Hingham and Boston 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 |
$4,456 26% below MA |
$10,000+Highest at least 67% above MA |
$4,189Lowest 30% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52.8%±14 MA: 51.8% |
51.2%±1.2Lowest MA: 51.8% |
60.3%±12Highest MA: 51.8% |
56.7%±24.4 MA: 51.8% |
| Hingham and Harwich are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 5.8% MA: 10% |
16.6%Highest MA: 10% |
4.3%Lowest MA: 10% |
4.9% MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.6% MA: 62.5% |
35.7%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
80.7% MA: 62.5% |
84.8%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1946Lowest 18 yrs older than MA |
1947 17 yrs older than MA |
1976Highest 12 yrs newer than MA |
1976Highest 12 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 33 min 14% above MA |
30 min 4% above MA |
36 minHighest 24% above MA |
25 minLowest 14% below MA |
| Work from home | 19.7%±4.3 MA: 18.6% |
21.3%±0.5 MA: 18.6% |
33.1%±3.3Highest MA: 18.6% |
17.3%±4.4Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #66 of 282 in MA | #258 of 282 in MA | #14 of 282 in MA | #157 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Hull | Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers: A Horace Mann · Boston | Hingham | Monomoy Regional School District · Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical |
| High school in town | Hull High | Boston Latin School | Hingham High | Monomoy Regional High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 8.8Lowest |
18.7Highest |
12.9 |
11.8 |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet | 6 photos → |
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.