Compare towns
Ipswich vs Scituate vs Burlington
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Scituate has the most people working from home (26.6%).
Burlington has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.7%).
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 | Ipswich | Scituate | Burlington |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 13,930 |
5,796Lowest |
26,274Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4.6%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+7.1% MA: +7.4% |
+7.7%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 47.2±3.5 18% above MA |
51.7±3.8Highest 29% above MA |
45.9±2.2Lowest 15% above MA |
| Scituate and Ipswich are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 18.9%±2.7 MA: 19.4% |
22.1%±4.8Highest MA: 19.4% |
17.1%±2.2Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Scituate and Ipswich are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 21.9%±2.4Lowest MA: 17.9% |
27.3%±5Highest MA: 17.9% |
21.9%±2.5Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Scituate and Ipswich are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 60.2% MA: 47.3% |
64.7%Highest MA: 47.3% |
58.4%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±1.3 MA: 7.9% |
3.1%±1.5Lowest MA: 7.9% |
4.6%±1Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Burlington and Ipswich are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $138,750±$16k 33% above MA |
$124,549±$27kLowest 20% above MA |
$146,436±$14kHighest 41% above MA |
| Burlington and Ipswich are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $745,400±$40k 33% above MA |
$821,600±$82kHighest 46% above MA |
$740,600±$35kLowest 32% above MA |
| Scituate and Ipswich are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,598±$90 9% below MA |
$884±$721Lowest 50% below MA |
$2,718±$368Highest 54% above MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $7,960 33% above MA |
$8,345Highest 39% above MA |
$6,165Lowest about the MA average |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.5%±12.2Highest MA: 51.8% |
46.4%±8Lowest MA: 51.8% |
50.4%±10.7 MA: 51.8% |
| Ipswich and Burlington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 5.7% MA: 10% |
3.4%Lowest MA: 10% |
5.9%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 74.4% MA: 62.5% |
83%Highest MA: 62.5% |
74.2%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1964 same as MA |
1962Lowest 2 yrs older than MA |
1972Highest 8 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min about the MA average |
42 minHighest 44% above MA |
28 minLowest 5% below MA |
| Work from home | 18.9%±3.8Lowest MA: 18.6% |
26.6%±4.7Highest MA: 18.6% |
22.5%±3.2 MA: 18.6% |
| Scituate and Burlington 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 | #101 of 282 in MA | #43 of 282 in MA | #83 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Ipswich | — | Burlington |
| High school in town | Ipswich High | — | Burlington High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.0Lowest |
— | 11.3Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.