What stands out worked out from the figures below

Lawrence has the most affordable homes ($415k median).

Cohasset has the most people working from home (25.7%).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Lawrence	Cohasset
People
Population	88,736Highest	8,427Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+16.7%Highest MA: +7.4%	+11.1%Lowest MA: +7.4%
Median age	32.6±0.9Lowest 19% below MA	43.9±4.4Highest 10% above MA
Kids under 18	26.3%±1.6Lowest MA: 19.4%	27.2%±4.1Highest MA: 19.4%
	Cohasset and Lawrence are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	10.5%±0.9Lowest MA: 17.9%	17.8%±2.8Highest MA: 17.9%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	16.8%Lowest MA: 47.3%	76.7%Highest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.4%±0.8Highest MA: 7.9%	3.8%±1.7Lowest MA: 7.9%
	Lawrence and Cohasset are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$60,433±$3kLowest 42% below MA	$199,306±$53kHighest 92% above MA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$415,200±$23kLowest 26% below MA	$1,318,900±$165kHighest 135% above MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,662±$50Lowest 6% below MA	$2,755±$399Highest 56% above MA
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,422Lowest 43% below MA	$10,000+Highest at least 67% above MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	60.6%±3.6Highest MA: 51.8%	52.6%±15.5Lowest MA: 51.8%
	Lawrence and Cohasset are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	17.6%Highest MA: 10%	3%Lowest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	28.1%Lowest MA: 62.5%	83%Highest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1950Lowest 14 yrs older than MA	1968Highest 4 yrs newer than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	23 minLowest 21% below MA	37 minHighest 28% above MA
Work from home	6.8%±1.2Lowest MA: 18.6%	25.7%±5.3Highest MA: 18.6%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#278 of 282 in MA	#41 of 282 in MA
School district	Lawrence	Cohasset
High school in town	Lawrence High School	Cohasset High School
Students per teacherat that high school	13.6Highest	9.0Lowest
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.