Compare towns
Ipswich vs Wellesley
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Ipswich has the most affordable homes ($745k median).
Wellesley has the most expensive homes ($1583k 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 | Ipswich | Wellesley |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 13,930Lowest |
30,347Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4.6%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+5.6%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 47.2±3.5Highest 18% above MA |
37.1±2.2Lowest 7% below MA |
| Kids under 18 | 18.9%±2.7Lowest MA: 19.4% |
24.1%±2Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 21.9%±2.4Highest MA: 17.9% |
15.5%±1.3Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 60.2%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
89%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±1.3Lowest MA: 7.9% |
18.3%±0.7Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $138,750±$16kLowest 33% above MA |
$250,001Highest 140% above MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $745,400±$40kLowest 33% above MA |
$1,582,700±$49kHighest 182% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,598±$90Lowest 9% below MA |
$2,886±$360Highest 64% above MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $7,960Lowest 33% above MA |
$10,000+Highest at least 67% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.5%±12.2Highest MA: 51.8% |
44.1%±8.2Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Ipswich and Wellesley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 5.7%Highest MA: 10% |
4%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 74.4%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
84.4%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1964Highest same as MA |
1955Lowest 9 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest about the MA average |
27 minLowest 7% below MA |
| Work from home | 18.9%±3.8Lowest MA: 18.6% |
32%±2.9Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #101 of 282 in MA | #6 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Ipswich | — |
| High school in town | Ipswich High | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.0 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in History | 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.