What stands out worked out from the figures below

Lee has the most affordable homes ($353k median).

Newburyport has grown the fastest since 2010 (+5%).

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	Lee	Newburyport
People
Population	5,719Lowest	18,652Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-2.6%Lowest MA: +7.4%	+5%Highest MA: +7.4%
Median age	55.2±5.8Highest 38% above MA	49.8±2.9Lowest 25% above MA
	Lee and Newburyport are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	12.6%±5Lowest MA: 19.4%	19.9%±3.5Highest MA: 19.4%
	Newburyport and Lee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	33.4%±6.1Highest MA: 17.9%	24.4%±2.7Lowest MA: 17.9%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	44.1%Lowest MA: 47.3%	67%Highest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5%±2.1Highest MA: 7.9%	3.5%±1.5Lowest MA: 7.9%
	Lee and Newburyport are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$83,750±$13kLowest 19% below MA	$139,625±$21kHighest 34% above MA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$352,700±$19kLowest 37% below MA	$834,000±$37kHighest 48% above MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,375±$212Lowest 22% below MA	$1,592±$221Highest 10% below MA
	Newburyport and Lee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,980Lowest 34% below MA	$7,944Highest 33% above MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	57.3%±21.2Highest MA: 51.8%	46.4%±9.7Lowest MA: 51.8%
	Lee and Newburyport are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	7.2%Highest MA: 10%	5%Lowest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	71.1%Lowest MA: 62.5%	77.5%Highest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1959Highest 5 yrs older than MA	1954Lowest 10 yrs older than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	18 minLowest 38% below MA	32 minHighest 8% above MA
Work from home	16.4%±7.8Lowest MA: 18.6%	28.9%±4Highest MA: 18.6%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#209 of 282 in MA	#56 of 282 in MA
School district	Lee	Newburyport
High school in town	Lee Middle/High School	Newburyport High
Students per teacherat that high school	9.2Lowest	10.3Highest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.